The Damned And The Desirable
by PriscillaPal
Summary: In the second installment after 'No Rhyme Or Reason', Roger Thorpe continues his affair with Holly's alter-ego, 'Hayley', much to James Stenbeck's frustration.
1. Chapter 1

In the second part of this saga after 'No Rhyme Or Reason', a week has passed since Roger made the unwise to decision, not to have Dr. Weston return Holly back to her real self. She is still Hayley Keyes, the murderous, tempestuous side-kick and mistress to James Stenbeck.

Or make that 'former' mistress.

For now Hayley is very much a part of Roger's life, while still posing as Holly Reade. Roger is more in love than ever, but knows he is living on borrowed time, until either Weston betrays him and returns to restore Holly to her real persona, where in which there is every chance that she will realize that she has been carrying on an affair with Roger...

But there are other concerns, of course.

Phillip was unsuccessful in trying to buy Roger out of Spaulding and the FAA has officially cleared him of any wrong doing, in the Spaulding plane crash that killed Alan and Amanda Spaulding. It is the morning of the funeral, which Roger decided to let Alex handle, much to her relief.

And what of Alexandra Spaulding-Stenbeck? She has asked the help of old family lawyers, who are quietly helping her look into James's claims that he is indeed her brother. And unfortunately, someone else Alex would rather not see, has come to Springfield for the funeral: another one of James's ex-wives, Lucinda Walsh, who is also a 'frenemy' of hers.

Poor Fletcher has been temporarily blinded, ever since Holly/Hayley, flung bleach at him in a snit. Ross is representing him with the criminal charges 'Holly' pressed against him in the incident.

Then there is James Stenbeck, who is very unhappy. He has failed to get Roger out of his hair with regards to Spaulding, and he is very aware of how much influence he's wielding over his 'creation'. He can't find Dr. Weston anywhere so that he can order him to turn Hayley back into Holly, and worse yet, Alan-Michael **AND** blind Fletcher are staying in the mansion!

But our tale starts with the morning of the Spaulding funeral...

* * *

James scowled as he read the headline, 'Thorpe Cleared Of Any Wrong Doing in Spaulding Crash'.

The article went on to stress that funeral services for Alan and Amanda Spaulding would be held today and that it was a private affair. But James could've cared less. Today he planned to get rid of another Spaulding. At first he thought about Nick, being that he was Alex's son and annoying. But ever since that little whipper snapper, Alan-Michael had moved in here, James's had shifted from Nick, to him, as being the next to die.

Alan-Michael appeared in the dining room, said good morning to Vera, then sat across from James, helping himself to various foods. James slowly set down the paper and sighed.

"Good morning, Alan-Michael. This is a sad day, isn't it?"

"You're still married to my aunt, so yes." Alan-Michael replied blithely, while munching on some toast.

James smiled tolerantly.

"Alan-Michael, today is a day of our family coming together."

Alan-Michael wiped his hands on a napkin.

"Oh I agree. My family should come together on this sad day. My father and sister were murdered. But **YOU** are not family."

James rolled his tongue around in his mouth before responding to that.

"I'm really trying here."

"I know. Trying to kill us all off. I'm watching you. No one believes Aunt Alex fell in a 'shower', okay? Plus you're apparently sleeping with Holly Reade."

"Oh, so you believed that slander?"

Alan-Michael gave him a 'get the fuck out of here' look.

"Fletcher is living here now. He's not at home with his wife."

"Mr. Reade **CAN'**T go back home. There is a restraining order against him. He raised his hand to his wife. Threatened, Holly defended herself."

"Yes well I don't believe Fletcher laid a hand on Holly. Plus it looks as if she's shacked back up with Thorpe. That doesn't make you a bit jealous, James?" Alan-Michael asked slyly.

"Holly was never in this house, Alan-Michael. Your aunt's fall played with her head. Alex realized that and didn't embarrass herself, or this family, by officially telling that tale to the police. And...I am the one that should be hurt here."

"Excuse me?" Alan-Michael asked in disbelief.

"Clearly your aunt, my wife, has decided to privately give into her delusions that I was carrying on with Holly. That is why Fletcher Reade is in this house. It is a ploy to hurt me."

The sound of tapping could be heard. Alan-Michael sighed.

"Thank God! If someone else had not come in here to have breakfast, I was going to take my plate and leave." Alan-Michael said to James in an off-hand manner. James scowled slightly, now determined to make Alan-Michael the next Spaulding to die. He looked over at the dining-room entrance and saw Alex walk in, one arm linked with Fletcher's. He wore dark sunglasses and was tapping his cane wildly.

"I've got it, Alex!" Fletcher griped. Alex was about to say something, when James burst out laughing! He couldn't help it! The point of the damned cane was to serve as a guide to a blind person. But this fool here had a cane, which he clearly didn't know how to use properly **AND** someone helping him. For his sake and the priceless furniture that could be threatened, James hoped Reade got his eyesight back soon!

"Who the hell is that laughing?!" Fletcher snapped. "Alex, is that your criminal husband?"

"Yes," Alex drawled out, giving James a dirty look, "present and not in prison someplace."

Alan-Michael smirked but James's facial expression was non-expressive for a few moments, before he spoke.

"Alex? May I speak with you-in private?"

"Let me make sure that Fletcher is settled in his chair."

"Alan-Michael can do that." James said curtly.

"I want to see to it, 'darling'." Alex replied.

"Oh...well...then I guess I'll just tell a story while you get your former lover 'settled' in a chair a blind goat could find. And it's about how I want my 'sister' to come for a visit."

Alan-Michael frowned. What the hell was James talking about? Alex slowly let go of Fletcher, who could feel her stress. It was true about losing one of the senses and the others becoming stronger. He could feel that something about what James had just said, troubled Alex. He didn't have to look at her.

"Alex," Fletcher began, "it's alright. See to the criminal."

Alan-Michael got up and helped Fletcher into a chair, as Alex, jaw clenched, followed James out of the dining room. Alan Michael stared after them, then sat back down.

"What the hell was that? James has a sister?"

Fletcher nodded.

"Yes. Ariel Aldrin. She was next on my list to talk to for the Stenbeck biography, when all hell broke loose here. I didn't think they were on good terms though." Fletcher noted.

Meanwhile, Alexandra could not believe what James was saying to her.

"No," Alex said coldly, "absolutely not."

"I want you back in our room. I can assure you, there will be no sexual overtures on my part. But we do have our roles to play, darling."

"I'm not sleeping in the same room with you," Alex told him point blank, "I would hate to awaken and find you taking advantage of me."

"Unless you can make yourself look like Barbara, that won't be happening." James assured her. "Now, I have some errands to run...oh...I want Fletcher Reade out of this house after the funeral. He does not belong here."

Alex said nothing to that and watched James's back as he walked off. She was still thinking about that remark he had made about Barbara. Barbara...but not Holly? And with the way she had been acting these days, Alex was now 150% sure that something had been going on between James and Holly. But the rumors swirling about were that Holly had essentially shacked up with Roger-again.

Vera approached her.

"I hate to tell you this, peanut, but you have a visitor."

"Uh oh. I don't like the way you said that. Who is it?" Alex asked.

"Mary Ellen Walters." Vera said, folding her arms. Alex just shook her head. Mary Ellen Walters was the born name of World Wide mogul, Lucinda Walsh. Her and Alex went way back and not in a good way. Vera remembered the whore as well.

"I'll deal with her." Alex said, nodding to Vera as she walked past her and found Lucinda standing in the foyer.

"Lucinda. The services are at two." Alex said matter-of-factly.

"Why darling, is that all you have to say to me? I came here to offer support."

"Why? I didn't realize you knew Alan and Amanda that well. I do remember you having sex with my father, on a couch in the study, while my mother lay dying upstairs. Now, as I told you before, the services are at two." Alex said and turned to walk away. But Luncinda's voice stopped her.

"I'm here about James. I just saw the bastard leave. You know I came out of concern for you. I think we all know you didn't fall in a shower. You're lucky to be alive."

Alex slowly turned back to stare at her former friend.

"But I am alive. Is that all?"

Lucinda walked up to her.

"I just wanted to let you know, that I know what it means to be a 'Stenbeck Wife'. It means enduring at least one murder attempt from him. Look, I'm here because the Springfield Times is part of World Wide. Holly Reade's paper doesn't seem to care about getting to the heart of what's going on in this town and with your family."

Alex peered at her. She wasn't hearing concern.

She was hearing a threat.

"What's going on with my family? What's going on is that my brother and niece have been killed. Probably by Roger Thorpe. So print that."

"Now darling. We all know Roger Thorpe was cleared of those charges. I even heard he plans to speak at the services today. What I plan to print, is how James Stenbeck wants the Spaulding dynasty all to himself. I just don't quite see **HOW** he plans to do it, even if he kills all of you off. You're a smart woman, Alex. Surely you made it impossible for James to inherit the company, didn't you?"

"The services are at two 'Mary Ellen'. And I think you're forgetting yourself. I have a story I could tell as well. To the tabloids. Now you have a nice day." Alex said coldly, then watched as Lucinda smiled just as coldly back at her, turned and walked out of the front door. Alex shook her head as the door closed. Hopefully, that bitch had gotten the hint that mud slinging could be a two way street.

* * *

Holly/Hayley, parked her car next to Roger's in the undercar garage to his apartment building, got out and began whistling as she headed for the elevators.

"Hayley!"

Holly/Hayley stopped abruptly and looked around. James was behind a concrete pillar. He moved from behind it, looking around. When he reached her, he flung something at her, that dropped to the ground.

"Holly's mail. Apparently no one has picked it up in a week." James said coolly, appraising her. The woman was actually wearing an eyepatch and a trenchcoat that made her look...well...sexy.

Holly/Hayley bent down, picked up the mail that James had been so nice to rubber band together, then tucked it away in one of her trenchcoat pockets.

"Thanks, precious. Now if you don't mind..."

"You have someplace to be? Like Thorpe's bed?" James asked wryly. "Have you seen Dr. Weston, per chance?"

"No. Why do you ask?" Holly/Hayley asked innocently.

"Because I have never not been able to get in touch with him. Until now. Until you took up with Thorpe, which is very 'Un-Holly' like! The real Holly would be by her blind husband's side. Then again, the real Holly wouldn't have blinded her own husband!"

James abruptly stopped yelling, since his voice was beginning to carry. Holly/Hayley looked around as well, before answering him.

"What is the matter with you? You can't see that I'm doing **ALL** of this for you?"

"Really?" James asked sarcastically.

"Yes, really! I told you Roger has a CIA file as big as a giant's fist in his apartment. There's a lot of things in there that could put you away for a long time. I'm just protecting you."

"There are things that **BOTH** of us did, darling." James reminded her. But Holly/Hayley grinned.

"Yeah, see, there's a problem with that. I've actually read the file. They can't seem to identify me. They just know a red-headed woman, may have been seen with you on a few occasions, but other than that, it's **ALL** you. Now if you don't mind, I have to get going. Roger was a little nervous the other day about the speech he was going to give at Amanda's funeral."

James's eyes grew huge!

"He's actually going to speak?! That's nervy."

"Yes, isn't it? Though the poor guy was having trouble coming up with anything. I snuck a look at the notepad he was writing on. It said Amanda was a human being with curly hair." Holly/Hayley said, shaking her head.

"That's all he has written down?! I could come up with more than that to say about Alex!" James noted.

"I'm sure you could, lover. Anyway, I have to get going."

"Tell me, dear, are you wearing any clothing under that trenchcoat?"

"Not a stitch." Holly/Hayley said, blowing him a kiss before walking towards the elevators. James watched as she got on one and proceeded to pull out the mail packet James had given her.

Once the doors closed, James scowled! He knew 'Hayley' better than she knew herself(obviously!). She was enjoying sex with Thorpe and he doubted very much she was thinking about himself or anyone else when she was doing the deed!

Then again, he could be wrong. But maybe it was time to make Hayley prove her loyalty to him. With that thought in mind, James turned to head back to his own car. He had a funeral to attend and a murder to commit.

* * *

Holly/Hayley stepped out of the elevator and headed towards Roger's apartment door. There was something in the back of her head, that told her she should stop and turn around. Something that told her that there was something different about this 'assignment', than any of the others she had ever done for James.

Yes, they had both pretended to like or even care for other people, while in the midst of cheating them or even eventually, murdering them. Holly/Hayley smiled as she remembered one man in particular. Holly/Hayley had cozied up to him only because James said he was dying, and that they would soon have his fortune. So she hadn't had to do anything sexual with him, because of his unfortunate medical condition.

But this man had had a girlfriend or some woman, who began yelling at James, as soon as she saw them both. The man had been about to leave in a hot air balloon, Holly/Hayley could not remember why exactly, but James let it get into the air, before firing a shot at it.

Holly/Hayley didn't stick around to see if it crashed, because she chased the screaming woman into a house, wrestled with her on the second floor, then kicked her down the stairs! Holly/Hayley had wanted to make sure the woman was dead, but for some reason, James wanted it left alone.

Holly/Hayley saw nothing in Roger's file about that incident, so she had to assume the woman died and everyone assumed she fell down the stairs. The man probably died in his hot air balloon crash.

Holly/Hayley was now in front of Roger's door. She closed her eyes. She had been in a ten year coma and James hadn't touched her once. Roger looked at her with longing, not lust. But longing. And she knew he was seeing Holly Lindsey but she let it go. It was nice to be looked at like that.

Before Holly/Hayley could knock on the door, it opened and Roger pulled her in and into his arms, slamming the front door behind her! He began kissing her like a man half starved and it only took seconds for Holly/Hayley to forget her earlier thoughts and give in. Roger was wearing nothing but a silk robe, and while kissing her, he pulled her back towards the couch, sat down and unbelted the robe...

Hayley stood before him, took off her trenchcoat and melted within his wanton gaze. Roger reached forward, clasping her waist and lowered down onto his shaft.

Holly clung to his shoulders as she was only seated on his manhood partway, then began to rise and fall repeatedly at a leisurely pace. Roger moaned and cupped Holly's buttocks as she continued moving up and down. Holly/Hayley soon sped up her pace a little and her breasts began to jiggle slightly, catching the attention of Roger's mouth, as he managed to capture one of them between his lips.

It was as Roger's mouth closed around one of her nipples, that Holly/Hayley sank down completely on his manhood, taking all of him in!

The lovers cried out in unison and Roger removed his mouth from her breast to kiss her, and Holly/Hayley answered his demanding lips hungrily. She couldn't wait to reach the height of fulfillment with this man...

A loud pounding on the door, rudely interrupted their lovemaking! Holly/Hayley moaned in despair! Who the hell was it?

"Roger, I know you're in there! It's Barbara Ryan!"

"In the bedroom." Roger rasped against Holly/Hayley's lips. "I'll be in as soon as I get rid of her!"

Holly/Hayley nodded and they both had to wait a few moments, before they could disentangle themselves. Roger handed Holly/Hayley her trenchcoat, then grabbed her face to pull her to him for a hard, forceful kiss, before letting her go. His hand was on the small of her back, as he moved her towards the small staircase that lead to his bed.

It had been their bed for a week now.

Roger waited until he heard the door close, then tied his own belt robe securely, before opening the door to an angry looking Barbara.

"Barbara? What a nice surprise. As you can see, I'm getting ready for my wife's funeral..."

"I bet. This won't take long," Barbara said, barging in, "I just want to know why Jack Snyder suddenly thinks I might know more about the time James was on the run."

Roger slowly closed his apartment door.

"I don't know what you mean. Would you like a drink?"

"No. What I would like is an answer. See it's common knowledge that you're working with the federal authorities in trying to catch James. Suddenly, Jack Snyder calls me, wanting to meet with me-today. When I asked him what it was in regards to, he said he's been given information, that lead him to believe that I might 'unwittingly' know something about the years James was on the run, doing God knows what!"

"Well, it doesn't sound as if Agent Snyder thinks you're deliberately hiding anything. Again, why are you here?"

"Agent Snyder never had any questions for me, with regards to James's faked death before! The first time I found out he was alive, was when I awoke to find him breathing in my face! But ever since you returned here and word has gotten around that you're working with the authorities, suddenly my name is being brought into this!"

Roger set down his drink and focused on her.

"I told Jack Snyder," he began, "that I thought it was odd that you would try and attack Holly, after she revealed that embarrassing bit about being married to Stenbeck."

Barbara's eyes grew larger than they already were!

"I attacked Holly? That's rich! She tried to choke me!"

"Unprovoked?" Roger asked blithely.

"Unprovoked." Barbara lied to his face. "And of course by telling Jack that, the purpose was to make me seem desperate to what? Find out if Holly remembered seeing me when she was married to James?"

Roger shrugged carelessly.

"It's not for me to judge. I just passed on the information about the fight."

Barbara smirked!

"So have you been 'updating' Jack on the fact that you're sleeping with Holly again?"

"I'm not sleeping with anyone, Barbara. My wife just died."

"Oh...yes...of course. I forgot. As did you, the moment you came back here. I plan to point Jack back in the right direction. You're covering for Holly for some reason and I'm going to let him know that too." Barbara told him, before turning to walk towards the door. She paused to turn and stare at him again. She spoke.

"Ed is still a little too concerned about Holly for my tastes. Worry about keeping her away from him instead of framing me for whatever. I can account for every second that that bastard was running around pretending to be dead. Holly, cannot. Since she was 'hypnotized'."

And with that, Barbara Ryan opened up the door, flung it open and did not close it after herself. Roger walked over and slammed it closed behind her! Damn! That was the first person that had voiced the suspicion aloud, that Holly could've been involved with James's schemes back in the day.

Holly/Hayley re-appeared, looking confused.

"I heard every word that she said. James hasn't told me the truth once, since I came out of my coma. I thought I could count on you to be straight with me."

Roger did not answer, but turned away. Holly/Hayley continued talking.

"What is happening? Why is everyone convinced that Holly didn't remember being married to James? And you are framing Barbara, aren't you? Why? I'm James's co-conpsirator, not Holly. She didn't do anything wrong."

Roger didn't want to talk about these lies. These web of lies that got larger and harder to get out of, with each passing day. He just knew that he wanted to be with this woman that was standing behind him. Only she was not really at herself.

No, she was someone equally as desirable.

He turned back to face her.

"Come to the funeral with me."

Holly/Hayley's eyes widened!

"I can't go to that funeral...Fletcher will be there. I'm supposed to be scared of him, remember? You'll be alright." Holly/Hayley said soothingly, closing the distance between them and running a hand though his hair.

"I can't think of anything to say about Amanda. I couldn't think of anything but you...Holly... all of those years..."

"Roger, no one is going to fault you if you don't speak! Just don't say anything."

Roger suddenly kissed her passionately! Holly/Hayley frantically untied his robe, while Roger pushed her trenchcoat off of her shoulders. It dropped to the floor and Roger pulled Holly/Hayley down to the floor on top of it, entering her with a force comparable to a fist punching through curtains. Their bodies began an undulating rhythm akin to a racing heartbeat.

After, Holly/Hayley finished gasping from the shock of it all. She was lying on top of Roger, caressing his face. She then moved to nibble on his ear.

"I'll be at the funeral." she murmured. Roger clasped both of his arms around her. Holly or Hayley, whoever she was at this time, was in his arms. Roger could get through anything today. Even the task of giving a memorial speech about a woman he did not love.

* * *

Meanwhile, James returned home and parked his car in the garage. It would be safe from the explosion in there.

He then left the garage and gave a surreptitious glance about the grounds. The gardner was headed to the greenhouse. James saw no other staff around.

It was at that moment, that he chose to bend down by the back wheel of Alan Michael's Rose Royce. He attached a putty shaped mound on the inner part of the car near the wheel.

The putty had a wire attached to it.

James rose quickly and looked around. The plan was to have Hayley call Alan-Michael pretending to be Hope. She would insist that Alan-Michael pick her up. Once Alan-Michael came out to the car to start it, James would be rid of one less 'family member'.


	2. Chapter 2

Blake sat in the office that Holly had not occupied in a week and some days. Someone had to look out for the newspaper. Her mother apparently didn't care and Fletcher was blind and feeling sorry for himself, at Alexandra's.

Ross and her were not in a good place either. Blake still didn't understand why Ross felt he needed to defend Fletcher! Her mother may have been acting a little strange lately, but there is no way she purposely blinded Fletcher and broke his arm. None. The only explanation for the whole event was that she had been defending herself against Fletcher.

And since Blake didn't agree with her husband, she was letting him attend the funeral alone. She had no place there anyway. She and Alan had been lovers once, never friends and Amanda had tried to steal Ross from her at one time. So she wasn't losing any sleep over the fact that neither were still on this Earth!

Tangie walked in, wearing appropriate funeral wear.

"I'm headed over to the church and then back to the Spauldings."

"Fine," Blake said shortly, "I would say have a good time. But this really isn't the type of event you say that about."

"So...Ross and you aren't going?" Tangie asked in a knowing tone. Blake leaned back in her chair.

"Ross is going solo to say goodbye to his ex lover. And to see my abusive step-father."

Tangie pursed her lips. Blake eyed her.

"I know you think the world of Fletcher."

"I do. I also think the world of Holly. I just think the two of them are going through a misunderstanding." Tangie said, closing the office door. "A misunderstanding that this paper really needs to say something about."

"I know, I know. Only I don't know what the story is! Mom has had some kind of breakdown or something. And I guess Daddy is taking care of her."

Tangie said nothing to this. No one believed that. But she smiled wanly.

"We'll figure it out. I'll talk to Fletcher after the funeral about all of this, okay?"

Blake nodded, since she didn't want to talk to the man herself. Tangie turned to open the office door, only to find Lucinda Walsh on the other side. Blake slowly stood up. Both women recognized the Oakdale business woman.

"Hello. Lucinda Walsh. You're Tangie Hill and Blake Marler. Nice to meet you both." Lucinda purred. Tangie nodded.

"Yes, well, I have an appointment. It was nice meeting you."

"The Spaulding Funeral services, right? Your appointment? I'm headed to the church as well. What I have to say won't take long so please stay." Lucinda said, closing the office door.

"Ms. Walsh, what can we do for you?" Blake asked uneasily.

"I'm just here to put you on notice that my paper, the Springfield Times, will be running a series of articles about James Stenbeck and everyone in this town that's affiliated with him. And Blake, dear, one of my reporters gained access to a peculiar file from the police here in town. Something to do with information you gave them about James?"

Tangie eyed Blake but said nothing. Blake spoke.

"I won't even ask how you came by that."

"No, don't." Lucinda said blithely. "My point in even mentioning it, was to put your paper on notice, that the public will learn anything and everything connected with this bizarre story. I just didn't want anything to be a surprise. See you at the church, dear."

That last commented was directed at Tangie, as Lucinda opened the door and swept out of the office. Tangie faced Blake.

"What was that abut a police report?"

Blake folded her arms.

"I remembered something that I'm not even sure is a correct memory. But it was bad enough to spur Ross into action. It was after he heard what i said to the police, that caused him to rush to defend Fletcher."

Tangie now peered at Blake.

"Meaning you told the police something about Holly, right?"

Blake nodded miserably!

"I haven't had the guts to tell my mother about my memory, but even worse, either Frank and Cutter didn't believe me, or their sitting on the information...the point is they haven't asked my mother about it and I don't know what to think!"

"I know what I think! We have to do something, Blake! I know this whole thing is very personal but if Lucinda blows this whole thing up into a big deal, we will have no choice but to be just as competitive. I think Fletcher should tell his side of the story. We need something that Lucinda will never get." Tangie said firmly.

Blake sighed. Whether she liked it, Tangie was right.

"Ask Fletcher when you see him if he'll do a story." she said glumly.

* * *

Ed opened the door to Jack Snyder and decided he didn't want to leave Barbara here alone with the federal agent. But Barbara insisted she would be fine, and sent Ed on his way to the services, while Barbara and Jack settled in.

"Barbara, I know this whole thing is coming out of left field, but if we are really going to put James away for good this time, we need to build a solid case."

"And I understand that, Jack. But you're 'building' your case based on information that I don't have. I don't know what James was doing during those years he was pretending to the world he was dead. And I know Roger Thorpe told you I did."

"Yes, he did," Jack said carefully, "and I can tell you're angry about that. I want you to continue to relate that anger, to Thorpe."

Barbara frowned slightly, then spoke.

"What's really going on here?"

"I know you confronted Thorpe today."

"You're having me followed?!" Barbara snapped.

"It's a necessary evil. And you're not the only one. Roger's reports to us suddenly seemed to make less sense than we were comfortable with. And unfortunately, some new information has come to light. And it affects you."

Barbara slowly stood up.

"Just tell me."

Jack stood up as well.

"I paid a visit to James's sister two days ago. She lives California now."

"Ariel?" Barbara asked in wonder. She hadn't seen Ariel in over 20 years. "How is she?"

"Fine. Considering."

"Considering what?" Barbara asked suspiciously.

"Considering the fact that she's been in a wheelchair for about 20 years."

"What?! What happened?"

Jack cleared his throat.

"There is no easy way to tell you this, so I'm just going to say it: Ariel was living with your second husband when she was assaulted."

Barbara blinked for a long moment, then answered.

"My second husband? My second husband was...he died. There was no way Ariel was 'living' with him."

"Yes, but he did leave you to die, right?"

"Yes because he didn't want to me to see his suffering! What the hell is this, Jack? What could this possibly have to do with Roger?"

Jack grasped her hands.

"All we know, is that at some time after Gunnar Stenbeck left you, Ariel found him in Switzerland someplace."

"Switzerland? No, you're mistaken, Jack. Gunnar went to Australia to fly a hot hair balloon, alone. That was how he wanted to spend his last moments. Not with me but in a damned hot air balloon. I swear, Ariel was still in Oakdale wasn't he? No...she left. Her husband had died...what are you telling me?!"

"That Ariel Aldrin told me that **SHE** spent time with Gunnar before he died. And that James found them. James was somewhat angry on your behalf and fired a shot into Gunnar's balloon. Barbara, Gunnar didn't die of disease. His air balloon crashed. But even more disturbing..."

"Oh please! What could be more 'disturbing' than that?!" Barbara snapped, her eyes filling with fresh tears.

"Unfortunately, Ariel said James was not alone. That a woman was with him. A woman with red hair. Ariel said the woman chased her in her house and at one point, kicked her down a staircase. The fall broke her spine."

Barbara began to back away.

"What are you telling me?"

"That when I showed Ariel pictures of women Stenbeck had been with, including Emily Stewart, on a crazy hunch, I then showed her a picture of Holly and Ariel recognized her."

"You're telling me that Gunnar and Ariel were shacked up at the end of his life, that James killed Gunnar and that Holly crippled Ariel. Oh God..."

"Ariel remembered a teenage girl screaming. She has no idea where **SHE** came from. Blake Marler was in boarding school in the area, back then. I think it might have been her."

"So Holly has lied this whole time? She remembers everything about her marriage to James? And Roger knows it too?"

"It looks that way." Jack sighed.

* * *

Holly/Hayley was annoyed to find the phone ringing, as soon as she returned to her house. She picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Hayley? It's James."

"Oh God..."

"Don't hang up! I have something I need for you to do for me." James said briskly.

"No time. I'll be attending that funeral."

"That's perfect."

"Okay, James, what is this all about?" Holly/Hayley asked impatiently. She was already running behind here.

"After the funeral, instead of going back to the mansion with the others, I will want you to call the house from another location. Preferably one that can't be traced. You are to pretend to be Hope Bauer Spaulding and you'll want to speak to Alan-Michael. You are to tell him that you're coming into town to attend..."

"Whoa!" Holly/Hayley snapped. "Who is Hope Spaulding?

"Alan-Michael's mother. She was one of Alan Spaulding's wives."

"You mean your 'brother's' wife, right? This woman would be your sister-in-law?"

James sighed.

"Yes, Hayley, though I fail to see...:"

"How disgusting this whole thing is? Are you still sleeping with Alex?"

"Darling, I have to keep up appearances." James purred. "Now will you do as I ask?"

"I don't know. Are you going to tell me the whole truth?"

"What whole truth?" James protested.

"**WHY** am I pretending to be someone else? I'm already pretending to be Holly Lindsey. Okay, so I call Alan-Michael, tell him I'm in town to attend your 'brother's' funeral. Then what?"

"You tell him you need to be picked up at the airport." James told her.

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"But Hope Spaulding really isn't at the airport? So what is the point of this? To lure Alan-Michael someplace where you can kidnap him or something?"

"You never questioned me like this before, Hayley. Why do you need the specifics? Just do as I ask!" James snapped.

"Watch your tone, incest lover!" Holly/Hayley snapped back. "And the answer is 'no'!"

"Alright, Hayley, there is no need to be testy. Clearly screwing Roger Thorpe's brains out has addled your senses."

"I told you I'm doing that for the both of us." Holly/Hayley sniffed.

"So you don't care anything for him?"

"Of course not!"

"Hmmm. Well then you'll meet me tonight, at your little abode? You looked so sexy today in that eye-patch, I just found myself longing to be with you." James said in his trademark, deep voice.

"Really? Does Alex have that same affect on you?"

"For the love of God! I've told you why that was necessary! Now please, darling, don't deny me. I'll be over late tonight. After the explosion."

Holly/Hayley's eyes widened at James's last words.

"Explosion? Explain!" she asked.

"Oh, well, someone is going to die today." James said casually.

"And does this have to do with what you're asking of me?"

"Well...yes..."

"James, have you not listened to a word I've said? The feds know about everything we've ever done. Roger is here to watch you. We both know you offed Roger's wife and his wife's father. If you kill someone else today..."

"Thorpe will be blamed. I'll see to it." James said coldly.

Before Holly/Hayley could react to that comment, a loud knock on her door interrupted her conversation. Holly/Hayley peered over towards the door. A very familiar looking woman was standing on the other side of it. Why did she look so familiar? But she didn't live here in town...

"James!" Holly/Hayley hissed. "Your ex-wife is at my door!"

"Barbara?"

"No! Lucinda Walsh! Doesn't she live in Oakdale?"

"Oh...she must be here for the funeral. And to cause trouble. Don't let her in."

"The doors are glass! She can see me in here."

"Then you know what you have to do. Be Holly Lindsey. I'll expect that you'll do as I've asked. Otherwise your 'sex assignment' will come to an abrupt ending when Thorpe goes to prison." James huffed, hanging up.

James had just threatened her.

And pissed her off!

Holly/Hayley slammed down the phone and walked over to the door. She opened it to Lucinda Walsh.

"Holly Reade? I'm Lucinda Walsh. We met once at a business women's convention."

"Of course. How could I forget? Would you like to come in?" Holly/Hayley asked politely. She stepped out of the way and allowed Lucinda to enter. She then closed the door behind her.

"Lucinda, I'm kind of in a hurry. I have someplace I have to be."

"The Spaulding funeral? Darling, I'm headed there myself. I thought we could talk first."

"About?"

"Well, Holly, you are a bit of a celebrity. A champion for abused women everywhere. It's funny that you haven't used your paper to speak out more about the topic of domestic abuse." Lucinda said solemnly.

"Somehow, I doubt you came all the way out here to lecture me on what I should be putting in my paper," Holly/Hayley noted wryly, "so why are you really here?"

"I'm here because of James. As you well know, I own the Springfield Times. I also plan on running a series of articles on that fiend. And since it has just come to light that you were married to him, but don't actually remember it, I thought maybe you'd like to sit down and do an interview with one of my reporters? Otherwise I'll just have to write...oh...I don't know...**ANY DAMNED THING I FEEL LIKE**." Lucinda grinned.

Holly/Hayley grinned back!

"Would you like something to drink?" Holly/Hayley asked in a sweet sounding voice.

"Why yes, dear. Oddly, I'm parched." Lucinda smiled thinly. She then sat down, uninvited...which is just what Holly/Hayley was hoping for, as she headed to the kitchen, opened up the refrigerator, then closed it quietly.

Holly/Hayley reached down on the floor a few feet away from the refrigerator and found a full can of some color of paint. She quickly picked it up, eased back into the living room and proceeded to bring it down on Lucinda's head!

Lucinda convulsed for a second, then lolled off of the couch and down to the floor! Holly/Hayley set the paint can down and walked around the couch to feel for a pulse on Lucinda. Yes! The bitch still had one!

Holly/Hayley then grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her towards one of the back bedrooms. Lucinda would have to stay put until she got ready for the funeral. But once she was ready, Holly/Hayley planned to use Lucinda as a way of getting out of helping James with anymore of his 'incest plans'.

* * *

**SPAULDING FUNERAL**

The church was beginning to fill up fast, as Roger approached Alex, who had just been walking in with Fletcher.

"Wow," Fletcher breathed, "I smell noxious cologne. And the only time I smell cologne that makes me want to puke, is when Roger is nearby. Is he?"

"Why yes he is, darling. Your senses are getting stronger." Alex smiled, then nodded to someone to help Fletcher to his seat. "I'll be along shortly."

Roger watched Fletcher hesitate, as if he actually thought he could come to Alex's rescue, if Roger did choose to do something to her. He faced Alex.

"May we speak outside?"

"No."

"Alright then, I see my name is missing from the program." Roger told her.

"So it is." Alex retorted.

"She was my wife. I have a right to say my final peace at her funeral."

"Oh please! Final peace? I'll tell you what your 'final peace' was! She was the last Spaulding woman you could get your hands on, that's what! The last one you could use to weasle your way into this family! My God! I'm sparing you, Roger! Sparing you the embarrassment of looking into the eyes of these mourners and seeing that they think you're full of it! Now stay or go, but you will not be saying a word today!" Alex hissed, then left him to join Fletcher.

Roger tapped the program against a pew, then turned and walked up to the front, before everyone was finished sitting down. Nick was the first to notice Roger where he didn't belong and muttered, 'uh-oh', while squeezing Beth's hand. Beth scarcely noticed, since Phillip was glaring over at her.

James walked in and noticed that Alex did not save a seat for him! Damn her! He then looked up towards the front. What was Thorpe up to? He sighed and then squeezed himself in next to a newly arrived Ed and Barbara, who were less than thrilled to be sharing a pew with him.

Roger tapped on the microphone.

"Ladies and Gentleman! Can you hear me?"

**"GO TO HELL!"** someone screamed. No one knew exactly who, but it came from the back of the church.

Phillip and Nick stood up and began walking up towards the front of the room. But Roger gave them warning looks.

"The press is here," Roger said warningly, "so I wouldn't try it."

"Then sit down, Thorpe." Nick growled quietly.

"Yes," Phillip seconded, "you're just going to make a fool of yourself."

Roger began speaking into the microphone.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to say my goodbyes now, as people are still filing in, because my wife's family is trying to bar me from saying anything."

Alex sighed loudly! God bless America...

"As you all know, I'm Roger Thorpe and Amanda Spaulding Thorpe was my wife." Roger began. Meanwhile, over at the Spaulding mansion, Holly/Hayley pulled her car up near the garage, got out and opened her trunk.

Lucinda Walsh was lying unconscious inside. Holly/Hayley then put all of her strength into hoisting the woman out of the trunk, getting her on the ground, then grabbing a tuft of hair and dragging her towards a set of rose bushes. Once that deed was done, Holly/Hayley got back into her car, drove to a gas station, called in a tip disguising her voice and not leaving her name, then got back into her car and headed for the Spaulding Funeral.

She walked in to a crowded church. It was also quiet as the mourners seemed to be listening to a eulogy by Roger, that he must've made up at the last minute. Holly/Hayley stood in the back and watched him.

"Amanda and I were not together, the last few months of her life. Actually, we weren't together the last year, though we lived under the same roof. For you see, Amanda, beautiful soul that she was, knew that my heart ached for someone else..."

Holly/Hayley's saw Roger's eyes connect with hers and she listened to his words...and listened to his words and...

Holly suddenly gasped and blinked! Where was she?

She was in a church. Roger was staring at her kind of strangely and there were coffins...

Holly blinked two more times, before slipping into a dead faint. Someone screamed and people stood up and looked towards the back of the church, as Roger hurried down from the stage to get to her. James raised a brow as well. What the hell was going on?

What both men would realize quite shortly, was that Roger had unwittingly said the code word in his eulogy to Amanda, that had now turned Hayley back into Holly.


	3. Chapter 3

"Now do you see it?"

Roger straightened his tie and looked at Barbara Ryan. They were both waiting outside of a room in the church. Ed was examining Holly in it. Ross walked up but Barbara continued talking.

"See what?" Roger asked coolly.

"The way Ed just up and spirited Holly away!"

"Barbara, if you're **THIS** insecure about Ed just looking after a patient...hello, Ross. Is there something I can do for you?" Roger asked blithely.

"I called Blake and she is on her way down here. I thought she would like to know what's going on with her own mother."

Roger didn't say anything to that and moved away from the annoying duo. Holly was 'Holly' again. That meant that the code words that Dr. Weston knew, were common words. Or a common word, singular.

Holly had been standing at the back of the church when she fainted. Had she been talking to someone back there? Was that it? Had someone said something to her that contained the key phrase?

Roger looked at Ross again.

"I don't see Blake back here. Maybe you should wait outside for her."

Ross rolled his tongue around in his mouth, then spoke.

"I represent Fletcher in a matter that Holly has brought against him. And I'm beginning to wonder if Holly isn't well. That would explain what happened with Fletcher."

"And get an abusive husband off of the hook." Roger said knowingly. "Nice to see that you're lurking about trying to find a way to trip Holly up. I'll be glad to mention that to Blake when she arrives."

"Now you wait a minute!"Ross snapped. "I care about what's going on with Holly too! We both know she has not been herself, and I would like for this thing between her and Fletcher to not get more out of hand!"

Meanwhile, Barbara shook her head. Wow! Holly had two men out here fighting over her, while** HER** man was fawning over her behind that door. Barbara folded her arms and stared daggers through the closed door that Ed and Holly were on the other side of.

* * *

"Calm down," Ed said slowly, "and tell me the last thing that you do remember?"

He could no longer pretend he was not concerned. Something was going on. He had known damned well that it didn't sound right that Holly would first, choke Barbara, then blind Fletcher and claim he tried to beat her but even worse, take up with Roger again!

But the woman Ed was looking at now, clearly didn't remember any of that! Holly swallowed.

"I was in your office at Cedars. Fletcher had just left and he did not understand about James. Then...then nothing. Tell me what's going on, Ed? I can tell by your face that you know something." Holly insisted.

"Honey, I want you to come and stay with me for awhile."

"Oh Ed! I can't do that! I mean Barbara would have a fit!"

Ed reached for her hands and squeezed them.

"Barbara can make other arrangements. Holly, you tried to choke Barbara, you blinded Fletcher and you've been seeing Roger again. And I can see by the look on your face that you clearly don't remember any of it. I want you to come and stay with me." Ed said firmly. "You need peace and quiet so we can figure out what Stenbeck and Roger are up to."

Holly blinked.

"James **AND** Roger? Ed, Roger was trying to help me. At least that's the last thing I remember. What is it you think he did?"

"Holly, you were** SEEING** him! For all we know he took advantage of you in someway and don't look at me like that! We both know what he is capable of."

"He wouldn't do that. But he might've been making sure that I didn't hurt myself or something. I think I should go to the police. I don't have any choice here."

"Let's make sure there isn't a medical reason that you're having these memory lapses, okay? Let's do that before we begin pointing any fingers."

"You don't think that it's James? You think I could be sick or something?" Holly asked, a bit thrown. Ed rubbed her arm.

"Let's not speculate. I want to get you out of here and over to the hospital. I'm going to talk to Blake. She'll pack some of your things and bring them over to my home, alright?"

Holly nodded again, feeling much calmer and safer. Maybe Ed was right. Maybe staying with him would be best-for now. Ed patted her hand.

"Stay here and get your bearings. I'm going to talk to Barbara and when I come back, we'll head to Cedars, alright?"

"If you see Blake, will you send her in here?" Holly asked. Ed nodded.

"Of course. I'll be right back." he said, then walked to the door, opened it, then closed it behind him quickly. He looked at Roger.

"She doesn't want to see you." Ed told him pointedly. He then looked at Ross.

"Is Blake here with you?"

"I called her. She's on her way." Ross replied.

"Well Holly wants to see her. And **ONLY** her. Barbara, we need to talk." Ed said, touching her arm and gently steering her out of earshot. Roger and Ross stared after them, before Roger turned to open the door.

Ross put his hand on his to stop him from turning the knob!

"You heard Ed, Roger!"

"Go to hell!" Roger snapped, shoving his hand off of his, opening the door and stepping inside! He slammed it in Ross's face, just as Holly turned to face him.

"Roger, I'm unwell. So can we have this conversation some other time?"

"I want to know what you told Ed? He said you didn't want to see me?"

"It's not just you! I don't want to see anyone. I need to get my bearings. One day I'm standing in Ed's office after a fight with my husband, the next I'm here in a church attending a funeral. Ed told me a week went by and that I blinded my husband and began hanging out with you."

Roger moved closer to her.

"Alright, then let's figure out what's going on then."

Holly eyed him.

"You didn't think anything was strange about my behavior? And I want you to explain to me how much 'hanging out' we did?"

Roger slowly put his hands on her shoulders.

"You seemed not yourself. But I don't understand what you're saying," Roger fibbed, "what do you mean 'you don't remember'? Meaning you don't remember anytime that we spent together in this last week?"

Holly pulled out of his grip.

"Time we spent together? No, Roger, I don't remember anything like that! And you're standing in front of me and telling me that you couldn't tell I had some kind of amnesia?"

Roger knew he was at another set of crossroads, similar to when Holly/Hayley found Dr. Weston, and he had the chance then, to explain what was happening. He looked at Holly and knew he should tell her the truth.

But the words would not form.

"Holly, you've been kind of violent. I just thought it was best if you stayed with me, until I could calm you down."

Holly looked horror stricken! She turned away from him as she spoke.

"What you're really saying is that you've been covering for me, haven't you? Fletcher didn't attack me, did he? I just blinded him for no reason, right? Just like I choked Barbara for no reason. Ed thinks there could be something wrong with me, but we both know this is Stenbeck. I have to go to the police."

Roger took three swift steps towards her and whirled her around!

"No! No, that is not what you need to do! You need to let me take you somewhere, away from Stenbeck's influence, so he can't do anymore harm."

"So you do think he's the reason I can't remember anything?"

Roger sighed.

"All I can think is that he's somehow able to control you with a word or phrase." he half admitted.

Holly pulled away from him and shook her head.

"Oh. My. God." was all she said at first, before turning back to stare at him.

"And I'm violent during these times I'm being 'controlled'? Oh God! Poor Fletcher! I have to go to him! I have to tell him what's happening to me!"

Roger didn't want to hear that. He didn't want to hear that Holly's first concern was a husband she had no business being with in the first place. He wasn't crazy or seeing something that wasn't there. There was something wrong between Holly and Fletcher and the rift between them formed** BEFORE** he returned.

He was not about to let Holly back track to that man again.

"Holly, please..."

But Holly took a deep breath and stared at Roger.

"Thank you for doing what you could for me. But I can't run around this town hurting people, then blacking out or whatever, then coming to weeks later! I'm going to convince Ed to take me to the police station."

Roger was about to respond, then thought better of it. Maybe there were some things Holly did need to know. Once she sat before Cutter and Cooper and told her story, then realized just how out of hand things had become, Holly would come to him for help. And when she did, maybe, just maybe, she would see that his way was the better one.

When Roger didn't say anything, Holly walked to the door, opened it to find Ross outside and closed it behind her.

"Where is Blake? I need to talk to her." Holly asked him absently.

"Why? So she can keep more secrets from me. Blake and I are in a bad place because of your secrets, Holly. And I won't put up with anymore of them." Ross said firmly.

Roger was listening from the other room. He could tell by Holly's lack of response, that Ross's words had surprised her. He decided that he had decided on the best course of action here. Allowing Holly to hear what she had no memory of, would either scare her into action(confessing all to the police), or scare her into inaction.

Meaning going away with him so he could keep her safe from Stenbeck.

Holly folded her arms.

"Ed told me that you were defending Fletcher."

"Ed told you? You're saying what? That you didn't know this until today?" Ross countered.

"What is the matter with you? Why are you taking that tone with me?"

"Tell me Holly: do you remember kicking some woman down a flight of stairs, in front of Blake?"

Roger frowned on the other side of the door. What the hell was Ross talking about?

"Excuse me?" Holly asked, a bit unsure.

"That's right! Blake and I spoke to the police the night you were pulled in for assaulting Fletcher. Back when she was a teenager, she remembered you kicking some woman down the stairs and she thinks it was when you were married to Stenbeck. It wasn't easy for Blake to talk about that."

Clearly, Roger thought, since he had never heard a word about it! He needed to see Blake and find out what this was all about! And if the police knew about it, but hadn't confronted Holly about it, then they were biding their time. Roger was now convinced that Holly hadn't gotten away with anything when she blinded Fletcher. The police were now more focused on her than ever.

Holly turned away from Ross and hurried away from him! Ross began following after her and that was when Roger eased from the room and slipped out of a side door. He would intercept Blake when she arrived and ask her about this 'memory' of hers.

* * *

Meanwhile, Alex had taken a rather horrifying call from Vera! She hung up with her longtime maid, then approached Fletcher and Alan-Michael, whom were still sitting in pews.

"I wonder how Holly is doing?" Fletcher asked, not directing the question to anyone in particular. He didn't feel right going to check up on her. He got the distinct impression that his concern was not needed or wanted, considering his wife had not called to ask after him **AND** filed a restraining order against him.

"Forget **HER**," Alex said brusquely, "where is James? Has anyone seen him?"

"No, thank God. What's going on?" Alan Michael asked.

"Vera called. The police are at the house. Lucinda Walsh was found unconscious in one of our rose bushes!"

"Lucinda Walsh is in Springfield?" Fletcher asked, eyebrows raised. "Wait! What? What do you mean she was found unconscious in your flower garden?"

"Darling, I wouldn't call prize rose bushes a 'flower garden'. And yes, she was. I just saw her earlier this morning. Now I wonder if she even made it off of the property."

"You saw her when, Aunt Alex?" Alan-Michael asked.

"This morning! After James pulled me away from the two of you at the breakfast table. He disappeared somewhere and then she left. Lucinda is not even remotely on my list of favorite people, but if James did this..."

"I don't know, Alex," Fletcher said, "that doesn't seem to be Stenbeck's style. I mean even if he assaulted Lucinda, he wouldn't just leave her in plain view."

"God, Fletcher, don't tell me you think James is innocent! Who else would do such a thing?" Alex sniffed.

Just then, Holly appeared. Alan-Michael gave her a questioning look. Alex put a hand on Fletcher's shoulder and whispered, 'Holly at 50 paces'. Fletcher slowly stood up.

Holly spoke.

"Alex, Alan-Michael, I'd like to speak to my husband alone."

"You've got to be kidding? You're suddenly remembering that you have one? What happened? Did Roger dump you for another heiress?" Alex asked sarcastically.

"What do you want, Holly?" Fletcher asked tiredly.

"What I'd 'like' is for you to stop hiding behind Alex and talk to me." Holly responded. Alan-Michael raised a brow. Wow! Holly was nervy!

Alex was about to say something, but Fletcher touched her hand.

"I've got this, Alex. Holly's coming to me here is going to go a long way in my defense. **YOU**, after all, are supposed to be afraid of me."

Holly sighed, knowing that neither Alex or Alan-Michael were going anywhere.

"I was not myself, Fletcher and I need to explain why to you-alone."

"Oh, don't tell me! Because you don't remember? Isn't that the BS you gave me for lying to me about being married to Stenbeck?" Fletcher countered.

"It wasn't BS! The last time I actually remember talking to you, Fletcher, was in Ed's office last week! And I remember telling you that I didn't remember the day before that and..."

Alex burst out laughing! Alan-Michael gave Holly a look of disbelief! Fletcher cleared his throat.

"You can see how stupid that sounds." Fletcher said quietly. "I'm supposed to believe that you don't remember blinding me?"

"No..."

"I'm **FUCCING BLIND**!" Fletcher screamed. Alex squeezed his shoulder. Alan-Michael looked down.

"I can see that you can't see, honey, but I'm telling you, I don't remember doing anything to you! Ed is taking me to the hospital, he thinks something could be wrong with me."

"Oh he's got that right!" Alex snapped at Holly. "But this whole town knows it's nothing physical! You have a history of running back to Roger, once any normal relationship you have, gets boring! You did it with Ed, Ross, crazy Daniel and now poor Fletcher! I think you should leave."

"And I think you should go to hell." Holly said coolly. "You lost Fletcher when you cozied up to Roger yourself. No, wait, you married him! Despite my warnings, despite everyone's warnings! And ever since Fletcher and I got married, you've been trying to insinuate yourself back into my husband's life. If Roger came in here and told you he wanted you, you'd drop all of this 'affection' you have for Fletcher and run right back into his arms."

Alex smiled blithely.

"But that would never happen, dear. Roger would come in here and tell** YOU** he wanted you. And I have no doubts that you would forget you were even married...like you have all week."

"Roger has been helping me. He has a theory about what's wrong..."

"So," Fletcher interrupted, his tone biting, "there is no need for you to go to the hospital with Ed, is there? You don't have a tumor or anything like that. Roger is up to his neck in what's supposedly happening to you, as much as James is, isn't he? I walked in on the two of you, the day you blinded me, conspiring about something! HE was the one that knocked me out when I was trying to get away from you, I know he was! I managed to escape the trunk of a car that I have no doubt was his and get help from our neighbors down the road, but if I hadn't, the two of you would've killed me! That I have no doubt of. So go and get checked out, Holly. And if there is something physically wrong with you, then we will get through it together. But if there isn't, then **YOU** can go straight to hell."

Holly just looked at him.

"That sounds pretty final."

"Being possibly blinded for life is pretty final, yes."

Holly turned and walked away from them. She brushed past Ross, who had overheard the whole thing. He didn't know what to think except that Holly was telling the truth. She did not remember assaulting Fletcher.

Ross also believed something else: Roger knew exactly what was happening to Holly and had somehow taken advantage of the situation. But how to prove it?

* * *

Meanwhile, Roger managed to intercept Blake as she got out and parked.

"Daddy? What's going on? Is the funeral over already?"

Roger took her arm and moved her closer to her car.

"It was rudely interrupted. I need to know something: did you tell the police you saw your mother kick a woman down the stairs?" Roger asked his daughter in a no-nonsense tone.

Blake sighed, then nodded.

"Why, Chrissy?! How can you even be sure of that? You just remembered it when you remembered Stenbeck, right?"

"That's why I didn't say anything! But Daddy, things just began happening so quickly! And I'm just sure that Stenbeck is responsible for Mom's strange behavior and I could see things getting out of control! I thought saying something might help the police see that something was happening to Mom. But I realized almost the minute I told the story, that it just made the police believe Fletcher and not Mom."

"That's my theory too," Roger said quietly, "that they are trying to find something on her. Look, what's done is done but no more talking to the police. Alright?"

Blake nodded and Roger pulled her into a quick embrace, before releasing her. He knew this had to be hard on her and Ross.

He also had plans to introduce his daughter to some proper, **YOUNG** men, after Ross and her fell apart. At least there was one, small bit of light in this whole terrible ordeal.

"But you are helping Mom, right? I mean you do know what's happening to her?" Blake asked.

"It's better that you don't know, honey. Your mother needs you to keep the paper together, alright?"

"Yeah, about that...Daddy, Lucinda Walsh is in town and she's ready to put us in the ground. We need an interview with Fletcher or Mom, to explain what's going on, before Lucinda explains it-her way."

"I'll talk to your mother. Right now she's out of sorts."

"What does that mean?" Blake asked.

"It means she's ready to do whatever it takes to fight Stenbeck and anyone else, including Lucinda Walsh." Roger said matter-of-factly. "I have to go find your mother. Keep things going for her." he said, giving her a quick kiss, before walking back into the church. Blake was left feeling oddly mollified. Her father WOULD take care of everything, including Mom.

* * *

Meanwhile, James Stenbeck was being questioned at the police station. And of course, he was less than thrilled. He knew damned well Hayley was responsible for what had happened to Lucinda, who apparently was in some kind of coma at Cedars.

He glanced at his watch. Alan-Michael had driven over to the church with Alex and Fletcher, in Alex's car. Hayley obviously had no intentions of carrying through with his plan. So God knows when it would be, when Alan-Michael drove his car and was blown to smithereens!

James exhaled and sat back, waiting for the detectives to enter the interrogation room. Maybe Hayley had done him a favor after all. Because if Alan-Michael did drive the car today, while James was stuck here, his own alibi could be verified by a station house full of police.

He tapped his fingers on the table impatiently. James was now convinced that Thorpe had accidentally uttered the mysterious code words, that had turned Hayley back into Holly. And James either needed to find Weston, or try and remember what Thorpe was saying when Holly fainted, before...

No, James thought. What would be safer, for him, was to find Weston and get him to change the code word. Then it wouldn't matter if Roger figured out what the word, or words, had been.

James looked around towards the door of the room. What was taking the police so long to interrogate him?

The answer to that question was, that a car had exploded on the Spaulding property, while the police were still conducting their investigation of the assault of Lucinda Walsh.


	4. Chapter 4

Several things took place that were not too good...

Hope Spaulding did actually call from the airport! But it wasn't Alan-Michael that took the call.

It was Phillip.

But even worse yet, the bomb James had planted on Alan-Michael's tire, did not go off due to anyone driving it. Phillip left the mansion to go and pick his ex-step-mother up, and while passing Alan-Michael's car, just gave it a tap as he walked by it.

That was enough to trigger the bomb.

That was four days ago. Phillip was now on life support and since Beth was no longer his wife, Alex was being asked to make the decision as to whether to pull poor Phillip off of life support.

Little Lizzie was devastated, of course, by the whole thing.

Three officers that had been on the scene, investigating Lucinda Walsh's assault, had been injured.

Alex was devastated, heartbroken and madder than hell! James had done this and James was going to pay! If it took her the rest of her days. And that is why the police were called out to the mansion, again, when Alex flung herself at James, clawing at him, before then biting part of his cheek off and spitting it out onto the floor!

Alan-Michael and Nick, who had not been quick enough to stop her, were appalled-and scared! The woman had bitten some of Stenbeck's face off!

James was livid and in pain! He had hardly expected her reaction to be **THIS** extreme! She had come to him and accused him of practically killing Phillip. James had responded by saying , 'and Nick is next'.

And then that's when he got part of his face bit off!

Now also on hand was Vera, and Hope Spaulding, who was there for support of her son and the family in general. She had also become a nurse during the years she had been divorced from Alan.

Hope also, God forbid, found James attractive! She knelt beside him and turned asking Vera to get her a few supplies, something that Vera was kind of slow on doing-getting supplies **AND** calling 911. Vera had punched the numbers in the phone extra slowly as well, while Nick and Alan-Michael got Alex away from James and into another room.

"What the hell were you **THINKING**?!" Nick yelled. Alan-Michael tried to calm her, but Alex tore away from both of them and wagged a finger! There was a sheen of blood on her upper, top teeth.

"That...that...piece of filth, has** KILLED** Phillip! And he clearly was trying to kill you, Alan-Michael! I've had it with him! I mean I thought Roger was a mistake but I'd gladly take him over James! Gladly!"

Nick folded his arms and gave his mother a no-nonsense look.

"Alan-Michael and I have been discussing this whole thing. Why did you let James come back here, after that shower incident?"

"And," Alan-Michael added, "why did you change your story to the police? Did you sign something when you married him, telling him he would get our family fortune if we all died or something?"

"Oh please, Alan-Michael! I would never do anything as stupid as that!"

"But he does have something on you, right? You half admitted it in the hospital." Nick reminded her. Alexandra massaged her temples. She guessed the time had come. Unfortunately.

"James could possibly inherit all that is ours, if all of us died, including me. But not because I signed anything. James has some sort of proof that he is a Spaulding as well. So yes, my darlings, that means that I unwittingly married my own brother!"

Nick's eyes widened, while Alan-Michael's mouth dropped open! Alex stared at her son and nephew, expecting them to say something.

"Well? Say something!"

"I have no words!" Nick said, looking his mother up and down. Alex's eyes narrowed!

"I can see that! Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Mother, how could you not know he was a Spaulding?! I mean your father never said anything? And..."

Alan-Michael glared at Nick!

"Don't be stupid! As long as anyone has heard of James Stenbeck, that is who he's been-James Stenbeck! And he spent years trying to hide the fact that his name was really James Aldrin from everyone. If the man had known he was one of us..."

"He is **NOT**, one of us!" Alex snapped. "He will never get a dime nor is he going to kill another member of this family! But he is getting the hell out of here-today! Now let's go and see how your mother is doing with his much deserved wound! I don't want to leave Hope with that disease, one minute more than I have to!"

James could sense Hope Spaulding's attraction to him, but pretended not to notice it, as she tenderly put antiseptic on his facial wound. In a way, she reminded him of one of his lost loves-Dee Stewart. A bitch named Karen Haines had made his dreams of being with Dee, disappear.

"I'm doing what I can. When the paramedics get here they can look at it." Hope told him. James covered her hand with one of his.

"Thank you, Hope, for your kindness. I know people have accused me of some terrible things. But I want you to know, that I had nothing to do with what happened to Alan and Amanda and I had** NOTHING** to do with what happened to Phillip. I love Alexandra, I wouldn't do that to her."

Hope did find James attractive.

But she wasn't a fool.

"Yes well Alex seems to think you did." she said primly, pulling her hand from his.

"Well she's wrong. All I need for her to do is give me a chance to prove it. Really, Hope, all I want to do at a time like this is comfort my wife. But she won't let me in our bedroom."

"Probably because you're really her brother!" Nick sneered as he, Alex and Alan-Michael returned. Alan-Michael grabbed his mother's arm.

"Are you alright?" he asked her. "Why did you even bother? He killed Phillip."

Hope sighed.

"Honey, he's bleeding. And we don't want your Aunt Alex to get into anymore trouble, alright?" Hope said, touching her son's face briefly, before turning to Alex.

"Alex, James is still a human being." she reminded her, and refrained from asking about what Nick meant about James and Alex being siblings.

Alex's barking laugh/response, was cut short by the sound of sirens. It wasn't long before Vera brought two paramedics in to look James over. Hope consulted with them. Nick pulled Alan-Michael aside.

"What's wrong with your mother? Who's side is she on?"

"What? She's being humane. Mom is a nurse."

"And she might've signed our death warrants by putting that antiseptic on Stenbeck's face! Look, I'm not one for hiding! Mother is upset. I'm going to convince her that we need to publicly run this bastard out of Springfield." Nick told him. Alan-Michael snorted!

"Are you kidding me? Aunt Alex would rather die than let anyone know that he's related to us! Do you know how vile that's going to look? Don't you care about your own mother being embarrassed?"

"You know I do!" Nick fumed.

"You didn't sound like it just a moment ago," Alan-Michael pointed out, "you asked the same questions that everyone is going to ask: how come Alexandra Spaulding didn't know she was marrying her own brother. I say we get rid of Stenbeck quietly."

"How?" Nick asked, not arguing the point.

Alan-Michael pulled Nick into a corner.

"Let's get Roger Thorpe to do it."

Nick's eyes widened!

"What do you mean?" Nick asked in a low voice. Alex was near the paramedics, pacing and at one point she yelled at them to 'hurry up and get him out of here'!

"Exactly what I said," Alan-Michael explained, talking in hushed tones as well, "let's get Thorpe to get rid of him. I've learned a lot from living here lately...from Fletcher. Something is going on here. Stenbeck, Holly and Thorpe are connected somehow. All we have to do is figure out the 'how', hold it over Thorpe's head and make him get James out of our lives."

"What do you mean they're connected? Yeah, Holly was married to the man and doesn't remember. I believe that part."

"Yeah, but** WHY** doesn't she remember? **HOW** does Stenbeck make her or even Blake, forget and yet still live a life with him? It makes you wonder what else Holly and Blake might've been doing, besides just 'living' with Stenbeck. We know what this fucc is capable of. You're going to tell me that he hypnotized Holly and Blake because he wanted a family? Hell, he lied to Holly about who he was in the first place. He's done that to several women in the past..."

But Nick interrupted, nodding quickly!

"I see what you're getting at. He didn't hypnotize Holly and Blake when he was living with them. He hypnotized them to forget they were with him. But that answer is obvious. He was supposed to be dead. By the time he got ready to leave Holly..."

"**THAT'S** what I'm getting at, Nick! **WHY** did he decide to leave Holly? Fletcher said something about how Holly thought James was cheating on her. But Stenbeck was pretty easy about letting Holly and Blake go and paying alimony, something that he has never easily done in the past."

"Maybe he actually loved Holly?" Nick theorized. Alan-Michael shook his head.

"Nope! There's something missing here. And to be blunt, I think we need Fletcher in on this. He's writing a book on the bastard. He has to have something there. Maybe even something he doesn't know is important."

Nick looked at Alan-Michael for a long moment, then spoke.

"Okay. We'll try things your way. For now. But let's not let on to Mother yet. We can't let Stenbeck know we could be on to him. And Mother is so emotional right now. She could give our plans away."

* * *

Roger handed over the menu to the waiter at the Country Club, just as Jack Snyder joined him. Roger stood up and shook his hand.

"Jack, I hope you don't mind. I ordered already."

"Actually it's fine. I can't stay." Jack said apologetically. He then watched Roger's eyebrows knit together slightly.

"Oh? I got the impression that what you wanted to speak to me about was important? I'm sorry I haven't been able to unearth more from Holly about Stenbeck and this woman. But as I told you before, I honestly think it could've been Barbara Ryan."

"I know. You said that," Jack said tightly, "but I'm going to have to ask you for the file I gave you, back."

Roger's facial expression was neutral. It was the same facial expression he used with Holly, the day of Alan and Amanda's aborted funeral, when she came running out of the church and into his arms, crying about Fletcher. He had begged her to go away with him right there and then, to get things sorted out, but Ed closed in, like the suffocating presence that he always was, and insisted that Holly leave with him.

And Barbara Ryan had insisted on staying with Ed-to help take care of Holly, of course.

Now Jack Snyder was telling him, without telling him, that he didn't trust him anymore with this investigation. He wanted that file back, not that Roger needed it any longer. But still, he had been sloppy. Jack had found something out that had made him doubt Roger. Now Roger had to give him something that would make Jack Snyder, doubt his doubts.

"So," Jack was saying, "I'll send some men over to retrieve it. I'm actually going to be in Springfield a little longer. Lucinda Walsh's assault has really put Stenbeck in our sights again."

Lucinda Walsh was still in a coma and her daughter and son-in-law, Lily and Holden Snyder, were about to have her transferred to a rehab center back in Oakdale. That little occurrence puzzled Roger, if the truth be told. It just seemed sloppy of James to bash a woman in the head and then throw her in a rose garden-where he was living!

"Actually Jack," Roger said, "I would like to hold on to the file a little longer. I'm working a lead. I'm not sure how it fits, but I'd like to try and find out if there's anything about this person in the files and I missed it."

Jack raised a brow. What was this? Roger went from trying to frame Barbara for what Jack was pretty sure now, were Holly's crimes, to making up new evidence? But Jack played along.

"Well clue me in, Roger. What is this new lead?"

Roger hated to do this, but he would have to give Jack, Dr. Weston.

"A man named Carl Weston. Dr. Carl Weston. He apparently specializes in mind control of some sort. I have reason to believe he might've been present at Brandon Spaulding Sr and Jr's murders." Roger half lied. The part about Dr. Weston's mind control abilities was true, of course. The part about his being at murder scenes, Roger couldn't say for sure, therefore he didn't feel as if he was outright lying.

He also knew he had taken a chance telling Jack about Weston at all. It would be easier for him to put two and two together about Weston and Holly now, maybe. But isn't that what he wanted? Didn't he want the authorities to realize that Holly was just as much a victim in this, as her victims?

Jack eyed Roger. What was this? A new lead? Was it real or had Roger been sitting on it the whole time and now wanted to distract him?

"Roger, I don't mean to be rude, but I don't know how much some quack doctor, at this point, is going to matter. I brought a witness to Springfield. One that was attacked by Stenbeck and his accomplice...the woman. She thinks she can identify her."

Roger kept cool to hide his rising panic inside!

"Well then maybe this woman can identify Weston?"

Jack's curiosity began to get the better of his doubts.

"What made you want to follow up on this man?"

Roger leaned forward.

"Jack, Stenbeck is many things but a mind control genius? My daughter and Holly **JUST** remembered being married to him. Stenbeck was able to keep those memories buried in both of them until recently. How? He had to have had help and probably from this man, Weston. And there is no telling how many crimes these two have committed, playing mind games with people. For all we know this Carl Weston may have tampered with your witness's memories."

"I doubt that." Jack said skeptically. Roger shrugged.

"Why? This whole plan of James's, to gain control of the Spaulding fortune has been carefully planned. James killed the men that were his father and nephew, back in the mid 80's. He also lives a life with Holly back then. And he's waited until the late 90's now to reveal himself? To step up his plans? Why? Why didn't he just kill off everyone back in the 80's? Holly and Blake's memories are suppressed, years pass between one murder and the next. This Carl Weston may know why." Roger stressed.

Jack decided to stop being coy.

"I agree. On a certain level. But I also think you knew about this man, long before you told me, Roger. The witness can identity Holly as the same person that put her in a wheelchair. Now I know that Holly is under Dr. Ed Bauer's care, so I am going to keep in mind, that James might've forced Holly to do this in some fugue state and she doesn't remember. But if this woman does recognize Holly as her assailant, then repressed memories or not, Holly will have to deal with it. And I still want that case file." Jack said, getting up and leaving Roger.

The waiter brought Roger's food, but he was not hungry. James would have to take care of this witness on his end. And in exchange for his help, Roger would tell him where Weston was. James would either hide him or kill him, and if he did either, then those men would be the ones in control of when Hayley returned again.

Roger cleared his throat and tried not to feel guilty about missing Holly's other persona. He also wondered, with a smile, how Holly, Ed and Barbara were getting along under the same roof?

* * *

Ed turned on the lights in the exam room and as Fletcher blinked. His sight was slowly coming back. Ed noted the improvement as he wrote in Fletcher's medical file.

"Well, how long until I can see everything for sure?" Fletcher asked.

"I don't know. Honestly, this bit of improvement is a miracle." Ed noted, setting down his pen. Fletcher nodded.

"I almost feel bad for feeling so hopeful. Alex is going through hell. All the Spauldings are."

Ed nodded, putting his pen in a clipper attached to his shirt.

"I had my problems with Alan, but it is pretty clear that someone is out to kill off the whole family."

"How is Lucinda doing?"

Ed eyed Fletcher.

"I can only tell you what the public knows. She's still comatose and her family is taking her to a rehab center in Oakdale. Why?"

Fletcher could make out Ed as a blur. But that was better than nothing.

"Well along with regaining my sight, I've been getting back into freelance journalism. I have to help Alex get Stenbeck somehow. Anyway, I was talking to one of my police sources. One that is assigned to work on Lucinda's assault."

Fletcher suddenly stopped talking. Ed pursed his lips, then spoke.

"What is it? You want to tell me something, don't you?"

"Holly is living with you..."

Ed interrupted.

"How did you come by that segue way? One minute you want to tell me something the police told you about Holly's assault, then you want to talk about Holly. Are you trying to tell me that Holly is connected with this?"

Fletcher stared at him for a long moment, then spoke.

"The authorities held something back. A piece of evidence that could possibly reveal what happened to Lucinda. They don't think Lucinda was hurt on any part of the Spaulding property. They think that Lucinda was attacked elsewhere and dumped on the Spaulding grounds, knowing the police would think James was responsible in some way, even though he was at the funeral when it occurred."

"Well, you always said that it seemed out of character for Stenbeck to just assault Lucinda and leave her body out in the open. So what's the rest of it?"

"They think that Lucinda was hit with a full can of paint. A beige shade. Her assailant didn't realize that the can wasn't completely closed and splotches of it was found in Lucinda's hair."

"Fletcher, I'm Lucinda's doctor. I know what was found in her hair. Just like the shards of that vase were found in Alex's wound. Stenbeck likes bashing his wives over the head with heavy objects and he leaves evidence. What does this have to do with Holly?"

"I was getting ready to paint the kitchen at our house. A beige color. I want you to come with me to the house and see if that can is still there."

"And if it's not?"

"That will look bad for Holly as well."

"This examination is over. And to be honest, Fletcher, I think you should find another doctor." Ed said firmly.

"I was afraid you would say that. I just wanted to warn you in case you ended up brain dead in the middle of the night."

"Do you think that's funny? Because if you do, I was really wrong about your being the right man for Holly." Ed said, folding his arms.

"I don't think a damned thing about **ANY** of this is funny! I had a wife one day and the next some raving maniac that used to be married to Stenbeck! Not to mention her association with Roger again."

"I'm just going to come straight out with this, and it's really none of your business, but since you're set to put Holly in prison, I'm hoping this will stop you."

"Come on, Ed!"

"No, you come on! I examined Holly the day of Alan and Amanda's funeral. I found needle marks on the back of her neck, and traces of a particular drug that is meant to render one unconscious temporarily. And I really doubt she did that to herself!"

Fletcher's mouth dropped open briefly, before it closed. And Ed had more for him.

"I had suggested Holly take this to the police, but it just upset her. Because I am convinced that this has nothing to do with Stenbeck! I think Roger might've done this and that's why she appeared to be 'living with him'!"

"Can you prove this?" Fletcher asked in a tight sounding voice.

"She's your wife, Fletcher, does she really have to? You two need one another. I understand if you can't take that step right now, after all that you've been through. But you should at least know that the Holly we know, never would've done such a thing."

Fletcher looked away from Ed's blurry face. He hadn't seen the 'Holly he knew' since Stenbeck came to town. God but Roger? Was it possible that Roger was that desperate and vile, that he drugged Holly so he could have his way with her? Maybe so he could frame the deed on Stenbeck?

Fletcher said no more, as a nurse helped him out of the office. He loved Holly but he couldn't be swayed because of his gut feeling. He was going to call Alan-Michael and together, they would go to his house and see if that can of paint was still there.

* * *

Holly sat at her desk at The Journal and looked through the stories they were running. The front page one, of course, was about the imminent death of Phillip Spaulding. The headline about it just seemed a bit tabloidish. She didn't especially want to do this story anyway.

Tangie walked into her office and closed the door.

"How are you holding up?"

Holly smiled wanly.

"You don't have to worry about me. Ed is protecting me. No memory lapses, no bleach attacks."

Tangie nodded.

"I think we should change the front page headline."

Holly raised a brow.

"Something worse than this has happened?"

"Well it's connected. I got it from a source that Alex attacked James by biting his cheek and spitting out the skin! He's been taken to Cedars to be looked at."

"So, it's not 'worse' just more vulgar." Holly sighed hopelessly. "I don't suppose we can get anyone on record to say anything?"

"My source can't be identified and...well...no." Tangie said. "But I did send an intern over to Cedars to sniff around. If Stenbeck is there and his cheek is damaged..."

"Was Alex arrested?" Holly asked.

"No, not that I know of. My source said one of the family lawyers is over there, blaming the assault on emotional distress. We all know James has as much as killed Phillip." Tangie reminded her. Holly nodded, just as her secretary knocked on her door quickly and walked in.

"Mrs. Reade? There is a federal agent here to see you."

Tangie frowned at the secretary, then looked at Holly. Holly slowly stood up.

"A federal agent?" she repeated.

"Yes. And he brought a woman with him. What should I tell him?" she asked. Holly sighed.

"Give us a moment, Mary, thanks." Holly told her secretary, who nodded and left the office, closing the door behind her. Tangie looked at Holly.

"Holly? What is this?"

"Roger had mentioned that the Federal Authorities wanted to know if I remembered anything about my 'marriage' to James that could help put him away. I guess they're finally getting around to asking me personally."

"You know," Tangie nodded, "with what's happened lately, they probably are stepping up their investigation."

Holly said nothing. Roger had told them she didn't know anything, so why was a federal agent here?

"Could you tell Mary to send him and this woman in." Holly requested. Tangie nodded her assent, then opened the office door and left.

The door was left open, so that Jack could wheel Ariel Aldrin in. Ariel took one look at Holly and began screaming!

**"THAT'S HER! THAT'S HER! SHE'S THE WOMAN THAT PUT ME IN THIS WHEELCHAIR!"**

That was all Federal Agent Jack Snyder needed to hear. His next step would be to take Holly into custody.


	5. Chapter 5

As Phillip's family tearfully gathered around his bedside, and Ed took him off of life support, Holly was denied the hope of a quiet perp walk out of the Springfield Journal, by all of Ariel Aldrin's squalling.

She was taken to a local federal building for interrogation. Tangie called Blake, who decided not to beg Ross to drop Fletcher as a client and defend Holly. She called Marshall Travers but...Marshall wasn't privy to certain facts.

And neither was Holly. Meaning when Marshall arrived and intimated that they had met before, that was when all of the trouble started...

* * *

"Mr. Travers, will you excuse us for a moment?" Holly asked, trying to keep calm when she felt anything but. Marshall nodded and left and as soon as he did, Holly's eyes grew huge and she barraged her daughter with questions!

"Who is he again?!"

Blake had forgotten that Holly didn't remember actually being pulled in for throwing bleach on Fletcher.

"Mom, Mr. Travers represented you when you were questioned for Fletcher's assault."

"Okay," Holly said slowly, "how did I know him?"

"He's Daddy's lawyer. He's representing him in trying to get Amanda's shares of Spaulding."

"Oh. Does he know much about criminal law?" Holly asked.

"Criminal law?! Mom, no one has said why the feds are holding you! Tangie just said some woman in a wheelchair accused you of doing something to her."

Holly sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Apparently, she is James Stenbeck's sister. And she is swearing up and down that I pushed her down some stairs and crippled her, while James shot at a hot air balloon that caused Gunnar Stenbeck to die." Holly revealed, her nerves frayed! This was exactly like waking up into a bad dream. She had never seen Ariel Aldrin before in her life!

"Gunnar Stenbeck?" Blake asked. "Wasn't he Barbara's husband?"

Holly nodded.

"Yes and when he found out he was dying from some blood disease, he decided he wanted to spend his final days in a hot air balloon going over Australia. Obviously he didn't make it. Or at least that's what's being said now. Blake, there is no way I'd throw anyone down a set of stairs! This is just crazy!"

Blake backed away and averted her eyes guiltily! Holly tilted her head.

"Blake? Blake, what do you know?"

Blake looked her mother in the eye.

"I might be responsible for that accusation."

"What?!"

Blake cleared her throat!

"Mom, another memory kind of popped up, once we both remembered being part of Stenbeck's 'family'. I remembered seeing you kick a woman down some stairs. You didn't push her, you kicked her! The memories are slow in coming...I don't know why I was there."

"And you told the police this?" Holly asked in disbelief.

"Ross made me!"

"Yes, good ole Ross! Blake, I wouldn't go to the police based on something I **THOUGHT** I remembered, ever! Look, what's done is done. I'll just tell them..."

"What? That you don't remember? Mom, you are in a federal detention center! Your saying that you don't remember, isn't going to cut it anymore!"

"This woman is James Stenbeck's sister! Really! Her word can't be good for anything!"

"She could walk before she ran into you, apparently, Mom." Blake said quietly. Holly's mouth dropped open!

"Who do you think you're talking to?! This woman, this Ariel Aldrin, is mistaken about who did this to her, plain and simple! And why would I do something like that? Why? That's not who I am?"

Blake looked her mother in the eye.

"You might have to deal with the possibility, that when you 'don't remember', you are someone that would kick someone down some stairs, choke people in parking lots and throws bleach on their husbands."

Holly just stared at Blake, before Marshall re-entered the room.

"Holly? Agent Snyder wants to question you now."

Holly looked at Marshall, then at Blake.

"I want you both to leave." Holly said in a calm voice.

"Mom!"

"I want you to both leave! You, as usual, are the errant daughter that I only get along with every couple of years! And you, no offense, I have never seen before in my life! I want to see Roger! You get him here now!" Holly snapped. She wasn't answering any questions until she got some answers. And she now realized she should've pressed Roger harder, about the time between she last spoke to Fletcher in Ed's office, to the moment she 'awoke' in that church.

* * *

Emily Stewart, who worked for Lucinda Walsh, was dispensed by Sierra Montgomery to run the Springfield Times. And at the moment, she was in her office at the paper, giving final approval to the damning headline which read _HOLLY READE PARTNERED IN CRIME WITH STENBECK!_

She glanced up as Barbara Ryan sauntered into her office and helped herself to a chair.

"Barbara," Emily said coolly, "I forgot you were living here now."

Barbara could see the headline and smiled.

"I'm glad you're taking the reins here. It's about time this paper exposed Holly Reade as James's whore. You should know all about that."

"Is there something you wanted?" Emily asked, now giving Barbara her full attention.

"Just be aware that if you ever feel the need to go soft, or get Holly's side of the story, I'll have you know that Holly tried to name you as his accomplice, to cover her own tracks." Barbara lied.

Emily's mouth dropped open!

"What?!"

"That's right, dear. Holly tried to say that she divorced James for sleeping with you, and that **YOU** had to be the one committing crimes with him."

"Oh what a load! When I met James he was James, not this Jack Lindsey character. I personally doubt he ever was."

Barbara raised a brow.

"What do you mean?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but since it looks like Holly may have helped James kill one of your husbands...one that you actually loved, I guess it's alright to tell you: I have a theory. One where in which Holly knew the whole time who James was and made this whole story up."

Barbara rolled her eyes!

"Oh come on! It sounds like something James would pull. And there is an official divorce decree from Jack Lindsey."

"What if Jack Lindsey never really existed? What if Holly and James killed him so that James could take over his identity. This is a woman who shot her second husband in cold blood." Emily reminded her.

"Actually it was to save Ed, if I remember my Springfield history correctly. And you might want to learn some, dear." Barbara said blithely, standing up.

But Emily had final words for her quasi-nemesis as well.

"Are you planning on seeing Ariel Aldrin? I know I have set up an interview with her. I am eager to find out what she was doing living with your 'dying' husband, in the first place?" Emily asked, now widely grinning. Barbara gave her a look that went beyond dirty, before opening the office door and walking out.

* * *

Alan-Michael and Fletcher left the hospital. Alex had fled for parts unknown, unwilling or unable to accept comfort for the loss of Phillip.

Fletcher knew Alex well. She needed to be alone right now. Sometimes everyone did.

But in the meantime, he had Alan-Michael drive him over to the house he lived in with Holly. He wondered if they would ever be together there again.

"Now what is it you're looking for again?" Alan-Michael asked, feigning a casual interest. He planned to use whatever Fletcher found against Holly here today, to force Roger to do his bidding with regards to James.

"What was James doing at the hospital?" Fletcher asked instead.

"Oh he and Aunt Alex got into an altercation."

"And Alex put **HIM** in the hospital?" Fletcher grinned. Alan-Michael smiled.

"You could say that. Now what are we looking for? I know i'm supposed to be your eyes here."

"A can of paint. A can of beige paint." Fletcher replied. Alan-Michael lifted a brow. A can of paint? A can of paint was the smoking gun here?

Alan-Michael helped Fletcher into a chair and looked around the small house, until he found the basement. He opened the door and saw there was a light switch nearby. He flicked it on.

There was a paint can at the bottom of the stairs! It had been tossed down and the paint had long spilled out. Alan-Michael looked at Fletcher.

"There is a paint can at the bottom of the stairs. It must've burst open or something."

Fletcher sighed heavily.

"There are some plastic gloves in that first, right kitchen drawer. We need to get that can up here and take it to the police."

"I'll take care of it." Alan-Michael promised. He would get the paint can and help Fletcher take it to the police.

But he had every intention of paying off whomever he had to at the lab, to send Fletcher doctored results.

He and Nick would hold the real results over Roger's head. And those results would most likely reveal that Holly, that paint can and some crime, were connected.

"You want to tell me what this is all about?" Alan-Michael asked casually.

"Not yet. Not without concrete proof." Fletcher said, looking straight ahead into his blurry living room.

* * *

Roger waited until the nurse left the exam room, before slipping in and confronting James-alone. James glanced up.

"Well, well. I knew it would be a matter of time before you sought me out. You know, with Holly's current troubles."

Roger grinned!

"What the hell happened to you?! Which one of your 'relatives' did that?"

James scowled slightly!

"What do you want?"

"I'm here about what you want. Holly is in trouble. I will give you Dr. Weston's location, if you get Holly out of this."

James now grinned even wider than Roger!

"And what would be in that for me, Thorpe? Really? If things get too out of hand, I can disappear, change my name and marry another woman with a child. Someplace far, far, away. Holly isn't too good at doing that kind of thing. Escaping from the law."

Roger continued to hide his rising panic.

"I think we both know the answer to that. And see, I don't think that this time, you would just be willing to let everything go that you've 'worked' so hard for. You've killed your father, brother, niece and two nephews, thus far. You still have a host of Spauldings to get out of your way. I think we both know that it would be easier, for you to just make sure that Holly is unable to link you to any crimes."

"'Holly' can't." James responded coolly.

"No, she can't. But see Ed Bauer is a problem now. He's a doctor. You see, when Holly was on trial for 'killing me' at one time, a doctor was brought in to unlock certain memories. All Ed is going to do is bring in someone else, that can unlock Weston's dirty work."

"Hmmm, yes. Well then it would just be easier for me if I had Holly killed, now wouldn't it? Then she couldn't talk at all."

Roger took a deep breath, before speaking again.

"Let's cut the nonsense, okay? Clearly Weston's location no longer holds any interest for you."

"Thorpe, when we began this game, I told you what I wanted. I want those shares you inherited from my dear little niece. And once you've signed them over, I may consider bringing back Hayley."

"Hayley?" Roger asked, his voice suddenly deep with emotion. James noted the catch in his voice and got down from the table he had been sitting on.

"You miss her, don't you? She's very different from Holly, isn't she? See, while you've been busy trying to cover Holly's lovely behind with the feds, I went back and pieced together, in my brain, your eulogy from that day. You said something that changed Hayley back to Holly. And I figured out what it was. So you see, I don't need Dr. Weston anymore. But you clearly need Hayley. You don't realize it, but when Holly begins demanding answers and putting you on defense, you're going to miss the cool, practiced skills of Ms. Hayley Keyes. Think about my offer, why don't you."

The nurse returned and looked startled to see Roger there. Roger left the room without saying a word, only to run into Blake!

"Chrissy, honey, what is it? Is it your Mom? I'm going to the detention center now..."

"Daddy, Mom wants to see you, pronto! She thinks you know much more about her blackouts then you've told her and frankly, I have to wonder about that too."

Roger said nothing, but looked over across the way, as Ed and Barbara argued, then Ed walked away and over to an elevator. He was probably going to see Holly as well. And once the good Dr. Bauer got into her head...

He then glanced back towards James's exam room. The door was open and James was standing in the doorway, staring at the two of them. Blake noticed.

"What is he looking at? And what happened to his cheek?" she asked. Roger quickly turned and gave his daughter his full attention.

"Let your mother know I will be right down. We're going to get her out of this."

Blake nodded, then hugged her father briefly, before hurrying off. Roger waited until she was out of sight, before going back to James.

"I'll have my lawyer send the papers to you. I want Holly back as Hayley while she's still in that detention center."

"Nothing happens until I get my rightful shares, Thorpe." James warned. Roger nodded curtly and walked off as well, forgetting all about Barbara, who had watched the whole exchange. She suddenly had the oddest, sinking feeling, that Holly Reade was going to get out of this somehow.

* * *

And Holly did.

Ed arrived just as Marshall Travers, who had insisted on looking over the federal warrant, realized that Holly was being charged under the name Holly Lindsey, when her official name now was Holly Reade! Marshall wondered if terrorists could get off as easily with this government!

Holly was a free woman, for now. And she was going home with Ed.

And Alex? Alex 'fled' to Bay City, where she was enlisting in some help in getting James out of her life, once and for all.


	6. Chapter 6

Holly smiled her thanks to Ed, as he handed her glass of water and two aspirin. He then sat down on the sofa next to her.

"I want to call Mike in on this thing. I don't feel comfortable having a lawyer of Roger's represent you." Ed told her point blank. Holly nodded, then looked past him through the glass windows in the kitchen.

Roger was outside, staring at the both of them. Holly set down her water.

"Ed, Roger is outside and I really need to talk to him. Why don't you go and find Barbara? Make sure that she doesn't feel neglected." she smiled at him. But Ed turned and saw Roger peering through one of the windows, jumped up and headed towards the kitchen door!

"Ed!" Holly called out, getting up and following after him. Ed threw open the door!

"Get off of my property!" Ed snapped.

"Hello, Ed. Is Holly here?"

"You were seen peering through our window. I think you know she is." Ed answered, as Holly appeared in the doorway next to him. She looked at Roger, then at Ed.

"Ed, I need to speak Roger-alone."

Ed did not take his eyes off of Roger.

"Absolutely not. I'm not leaving you with him."

"Ed..." Holly began, but Ed slammed the door in Roger's face, grabbed Holly's arm and pulled her away from the door. Roger began continuously banging on the door!

"Ed, he's not going to go away! And he knows the truth about what is happening to me! I need to know what I'm facing here! I got lucky today with that warrant business. But that doesn't mean they're not going to stop trying to put me in prison for James's crimes!"

"Holly," Ed began, letting go of her, "you need to deal with the fact that during your memory lapses, Roger has taken advantage of you. Probably sexually."

"And if he has I'll make him admit it. Ed, there is no hiding from this. Blake said something to me earlier. She said that I am going to have accept the fact that I am someone else during these blackouts! I don't remember choking Barbara. I don't remember throwing bleach on Fletcher and I do not remember being in James and Alex's bedroom! It's time I started to get a handle on what's happening."

"Holly, if Roger knows and he hasn't said anything, what does that tell you?"

"I have no choice. He's the only one I can turn to. I can handle him. This is different than before."

"Is it?" Ed asked bitterly.

"Yes. I'm a different person. Roger is not going to admit anything, if you are anywhere in the vicinity. Now he's about to break your door there. Can I count on you?"

Ed gave her a hard look for a few moments, then nodded reluctantly. Holly walked over to the door and opened it.

"Roger. Come in." Holly said politely. Roger said nothing as he walked in past her and confronted Ed.

"I don't know why I am continually surprised by your lack of civility." Roger told him. Ed ignored him and looked at Holly.

"I'll be at the hospital if you need me."

"She won't." Roger answered and he watched as Ed left by way of the kitchen door. Roger then turned to Holly.

"Pack your things. I want you to come stay with me. I'll help you get out of this mess."

"Sit down, Roger." Holly said, sitting down first. Roger hesitated. Clearly, Holly was not of the mind to be talked into anything. He sat down next to her.

"Marshall told me what happened with the feds. I am going to try and talk to some of my contacts about getting your case dropped."

"Why?" Holly asked. "James's sister remembers me kicking her down a flight of stairs and crippling her."

"Because James's sister, is 'James's sister'. I'm sure she's lying."

"Is Blake lying too? She remembers it!"

Roger reached for Holly's hand.

"Blake's memories are confused, just like yours are. James wants you to remember all of this nonsense."

"To what end? Hmmm? To what end, Roger? I don't want to sit around here hypothesizing about why James Stenbeck is the way he is. I want you to look me in the eye, and tell me what is exactly going on when I black out. You are the only one that knows and that means you are the only one that can help me."

"Honey, let's go away somewhere."

"Roger, tell me." Holly said quietly. "If you ever loved me, you'll just tell me."

Roger looked away from her and stood up, thrown by her low blow. What else could he do but tell her the truth now? He took a deep breath, then talked.

"After you choked Barbara in the parking lot, you drove off. Barbara wanted no part of James or I, and that left us alone. I knew he was somehow responsible for your behavior but I didn't know how. I met with James later and he told me how."

Holly slowly stood up, almost afraid to breathe!

"What did he say?" she asked hoarsely.

"He said that he had you 'turned' into someone else," Roger began, turning around to face her, "he turned you into a woman that would not nag him about his absences, his 'business trips'. Someone who did not remind him of Barbara. He turned you into his sidekick and ideal. And when you are this person, you think your name is Hayley Keyes. I met 'Hayley'. She's really you when you were 20, only semi-vicious...well...really vicious, if the truth be told. But nothing I can't handle. Fletcher couldn't say the same."

Holly said nothing but stared at him. Roger continued on.

"When I first met you as 'Hayley', you were at your house, hitting on Ross. You had locked Blake in the bathroom and..."

"Oh God! Stop! Really, I think I'm going to be sick!" Holly cried out, running a hand through her hair. Roger walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"You have to hear this. All of it. You were right." Roger said softly. Holly nodded, urging him to continue on.

"Blake and Ross know something is going on, but not exactly what. No one knows that but James, myself and a doctor that James used to turn you into Hayley. A doctor by the name of Carl Weston."

Holly shook her head slightly.

"I don't know him. At least I don't think I do."

"You're not supposed to know him, Holly. Hayley does. James told me about him and I realized who he was when he showed up at your home. It was the day you attacked Fletcher."

Holly bit her lip.

"Tell me about it. I have been told that Fletcher said you were there as well."

"Fletcher arrived after Blake and Ross left that day. Hayley had taken a call from James while I was there and when she hung up, Fletcher came home. He saw me and ordered me out. I was loathe to leave you alone with Fletcher, but I had no choice. Then..."

"Wait a minute! Wait! Isn't it obvious that I'm not me? That my personality is different?"

"Dr. Weston tutored Hayley on how you act. James told your other persona that you had been kidnapped."

Holly ran her hands down her face slowly, then spoke.

"This is like a bad soap opera. I swear to God. You saw me throw bleach in Fletcher's eyes?"

"No. I told you Fletcher ordered me to leave. But before I could actually drive off, I saw Dr. Weston arrive. I believe that whatever you said to James on the phone, disturbed him so much, that he sent Weston over here to turn you back into yourself. I didn't know what he was up to though. I knocked him out and held him at my place for awhile. I also helped you subdue Fletcher when he tried to get away from you."

"Oh my God! Why?!"

"As opposed to letting him go? I had no idea you were planning on attacking him, Holly! And you were chasing him...I didn't know what you planned on doing to him." Roger told her matter-of-factly.

Holly didn't answer but she looked away from him and sat back down. Roger continued on.

"I subdued Fletcher and told Hayley how this should look to the police, so that you wouldn't get in trouble. But Fletcher got away and you were arrested. I sent my lawyer to help get you out. I then took you home to my apartment, because I didn't want you to do anything else that you wouldn't remember."

Holly looked up at him.

"How long did I stay with you?"

Roger cleared his throat.

"Awhile."

"And what did we do during this 'stay', Roger? Play chess?" Holly asked sarcastically. Roger moved to sit beside her.

"No," he said looking meaningfully into her eyes, "chess was the last thing we had on our minds."

And with those words, Holly slapped him hard and jumped up!

"You had **NO** business touching me at all! **NONE**! The moment you learned what was happening to me, you should've made James tell you how to turn me back to me!"

Roger stood up, then grabbed her by the shoulders, hard!

"I did help you! Stenbeck didn't **KNOW** the code word or words to turn you back! At least not then! If I hadn't dropped by to find out what was going on that day you would've murdered Fletcher! And **YOU** came to me in my tub and willingly made love to me! And no, I wasn't going to be put off because I love you, I still love you and you have no business being married to Fletcher Reade! If this were happening to you and you were MY wife, as you should've been years ago, I would've never turned my back on you!"

"Let go of me! Get out! I'm leaving! I'm going someplace where neither Stenbeck or you can use me again!" Holly yelled, trying to pull out of his grip! But Roger had known telling her the truth would cost him. And he had been prepared for this reaction.

It had hit Roger, before he came over here, that it would've been foolish to let James Stenbeck have that kind of power over him. He had said something in his eulogy to Amanda, that had turned Hayley back into Holly.

He went back to his apartment, rooted through all of his writings, and found the one he had used that day.

Roger didn't know if his guess would right. But he was about to find out.

He pulled Holly to him for a forced kiss and managed to moan the insincere words he had spoken out loud, in reference to his feelings of Amanda:

_"Always on my mind, forever in my heart."_

When Roger's lips left Holly's and he stared into her eyes, he could see that Holly was gone again. Hayley smiled coquettishly at him, before tearing her eyes from his and looking around.

"Where are we?" she said and pulled out of his grip.

"Ed Bauer's home. How are you feeling?" Roger asked in a low voice. Holly/Hayley looked around, then returned her focus to him.

"Why? Why am I here and not that dump Holly and Fletcher live in? The last thing I remember was your wife's funeral."

"You got sick then."

Holly/Hayley eyed him.

"When was that?"

"Four days ago." came Roger's reluctant reply.

"Damnit, Roger! I told you this is why I needed Dr. Weston! You know, something is off here. I mean I shouldn't just be falling into unconsciousness for days at a time, just because I was in a coma. Maybe I should see someone?"

This was the first time, that Roger had ever heard the Hayley persona sounding worried about anything. He reached for her again.

"Let's go away together. We'll see a private doctor. Someplace where we can get away from this town." Roger suggested. Holly/Hayley threw her arms around his neck. Maybe that was a good idea. James might've figured out by now that she framed him for Lucinda's assault. James was in jail, wasn't he?

"Let's get out of there." Roger said, kissing her soundly, loving the feel of her body leaning into his.

"No." Holly/Hayley said, reaching for his tie to remove it. "Let's not. You hate Dr. Bauer, don't you? I learned that in Dr. Weston's tutorial." Holly/Hayley said, removing Roger's tie completely and letting it drop to the floor.

"Not here..." Roger trailed off as Holly/Hayley kissed him lightly this time, before answering.

"Why not?" she asked, then suddenly pulled away from him, spun around and looked at all of the big, open windows, before turning back to face him.

"Look at the view a person could get if they saw us naked in here. Especially the good Dr. Bauer, right?" Holly/Hayley asked, as she began removing her clothing. Roger's heart quickened! This was crazy! Ed had no intention of leaving Holly alone with him for an interminable amount of time! And yet, the sight of Holly's body, as clothing, after piece of clothing, began to drop to the floor, made the idea of being with her again, too hard to resist.

Roger hurriedly began taking off his clothes and Holly/Hayley sauntered over to help him be even quicker about it.

* * *

Barbara had just missed Ed at the hospital. Not knowing this, she headed home, determined to make Holly's life so miserable, that she would voluntarily move out tonight!

She couldn't believe that woman had gotten out of trouble, even with Ariel as a witness! And she wanted to know just what the hell Holly remembered about Gunnar. All sorts of thoughts were running through Barbara's head about the very idea of Holly being within two feet of Gunnar!

Barbara used the walk up to the kitchen door and glanced through a large window, then did a double take!

Oh. God.

Holly and Roger were naked on Ed's living room floor, in front of a couch, making what looked to Barbara to be, brutal and passionate love! Their limbs were intertwined and Barbara watched as Roger slammed into Holly over and over and over again, until Holly screamed and jerked from one orgasm after the other.

Barbara couldn't breathe! This was it! This is what she needed to get this woman the hell out of Ed's life for good and humiliate her to boot! But as she continued watching, Barbara realized she was actually **ENJOYING** watching. And soon she realized a half an hour had went by! Where was Ed anyway?

Roger Thorpe looked to be an unflaggingly potent lover, as the lovers bodies moved in a fluid, seemingly endless undulating rhythm that left Holly writhing and straining beneath him, when she wasn't crying out. It seemed like an eternity before the two of them stopped moving and just finally laid still, their bodies sandwiched together.

Barbara backed away and turned to leave the house! She got to her car, got in and sat in the driver's seat, staring straight ahead for the longest time.

Ed had never touched her like that. Had he been like that with Holly, when they were married?

Barbara put her head down on the steering wheel. Visions of Roger's flexing buttocks danced before her eyes. Barbara lifted her head. God help her, something had been aroused in her. Something about Roger.

Barbara took a deep, determined breath, then started the car. She knew where she had to go.

* * *

Barbara was the last person James had ever expected to see. He had returned to the mansion anyway, since there was no way he was leaving. Hope had been kind enough to bring him home. When he arrived, he found that trouble making Alan-Michael was no where around and there was no sign of Alex and her pet, Fletcher.

Vera had let Barbara in, curious as to why a Stenbeck ex-wife would want to be bothered with the man. But her thoughts were on Alex and her heart was heavy from the loss of Phillip.

James was sitting in the study, on the phone with one of his own lawyers, when Barbara entered and closed the door behind her. James hung up and stood.

"Barbara. What a nice surprise."

"Forget the pleasantries, James. I want to know what you know about Holly acting like a moral heifer one day, then a psychotic bitch the next."

James eyed her. Something was different. But what?

"I don't know what you mean." James said carefully. Barbara walked up to him.

"I'm willing to do whatever you want **ONCE**, to get the information James. **ONCE**, are we clear?"

"Crystal, darling. My new bedroom is up the stairs and is the second one down the right hallway. We can christen my new bed together."

Barbara rolled her eyes and began to turn from him, but James seized her about the waist, pulled her to him and kissed her hard and brutally! He then let her go.

"What's changed, Barbara? Why is learning my secret with Holly so important?"

"Once, James." was all Barbara said, then turned and walked out of the study. She was careful not to be seen as she eased up the stairs, telling herself that this was the only way she would ever find out what she needed to know.

James was no fool. Barbara didn't want to help Holly with this information, that was for sure. But why? What had happened that made her suddenly willing to come to his bed?

It didn't matter. He would remind Barbara through their lovemaking, that they belonged together. He left the study and was about to head up the stairs, when he ran right into Hope!

"James, I hope you're off to get some rest."

"I am. Thank you, Hope, for believing in me." James said, touching her shoulder. Hope melted a bit, then removed his hand.

"I don't know what to believe. I do know that I'm putting my relationship with my son at risk here. And I love Alex like a sister. I'm going to call around and see if I can find out where she may have run off to. I know you have to be as concerned as I."

"I am." James said with as much sincerity he could muster, before watching her turn and walk away from him. He then glanced up the staircase longingly, and slowly walked up them.

Barbara had found the right room and was now sitting up in bed, a sheet pulled up just around her breasts. James closed the door, locked it and shrugged out of his robe. Barbara took a deep, shaky breath. It had been a while since she had seen James naked, and despite her deep hatred for him, he had always been impressive to look at.

James approached the bed, then tore back the covers Barbara had been clutching, his lust all the more inflamed by her naked body. He flung himself upon her and Barbara gasped! But James had something else to add.

"You are mine, Barbara **STENBECK**. I wish to God I had chained you to my bed to keep you from crawling into Gunnar's. I wish to God I had killed Gunnar with my bare hands, but most of all, I wish to God I had never laid eyes on you!"

And with that, James's lips came down on Barbara's, hurting her with savage pressure, as he took her there on that bed, more than once that afternoon, then turned into evening, and became quite a long one, as James used her fiercely, causing Barbara to wail with abandon.

Barbara didn't want to give James and pleasure, and she surely didn't want to respond to his touch. That was why it took everything in her, not to scream out Roger's name, as that was who she was imagining herself with...

Meanwhile, Ed Bauer would return to his home, puzzled and unnerved to not only find Holly missing, but to make things worse, Barbara would not return until morning. And when she did, she would know what she needed to know about Holly and 'Hayley Keyes'.


	7. Chapter 7

Ed was sipping coffee and staring into space, when Barbara opened up the back kitchen door and walked in. Ed set down his coffee and stood up.

"Barbara. I was afraid I had driven you away for good."

Barbara smiled wanly at him. She still had her own apartment, that she had rented when she first came to Springfield. She had left the Spaulding mansion early this morning and went there to wash James's lust off of her, and find a change of clothes.

"I stayed at my apartment last night," she lied, "and I'm here to pack."

Ed looked down for a bit, then raised his eyes to stare into hers.

"I didn't mean to get sucked back into Holly's life. But she can't help what's happening to her. James is responsible for her life coming apart and Fletcher has all but abandoned her. Roger is taking advantage, that much I'm sure of. I left him here with her yesterday and now I can't find her anywhere."

"Oh," Barbara said, feigning sincerity, "then why don't you file a police report? It might make you feel better."

Ed looked at her in confusion.

"You're serious? You wouldn't have a problem with that?"

"Ed, I think you've misunderstood me. I'm here to pack. I have no intention of being part of Holly and James's drama. So if filing a police report makes you feel better, then do it." she said and began to move past him to head towards the foyer where the stairs were.

But Ed grabbed her arm!

"Barbara, I thought you more than anyone, would be able to feel for what Holly was going through! You were married to James, you know what he is capable of!"

Barbara pulled her arm from his grip.

"I don't know that James has done anything but be secretly married to Holly at one time. I mean really, Ed. Did James tell Holly to choke me in that parking lot? Did James tell her to throw bleach on Fletcher? Did James tell her to take up with Roger Thorpe again? Look, how you help Holly is on you. I don't want any part of it. Now if you don't mind, I'm just going to be getting my things."

Ed said nothing to her stinging words. He watched her walk away and for the first time, questioned whether this was indeed worth it? Barbara Ryan had been the first woman he had cared about in a long while, ever since Eve died.

And he had allowed Holly's situation to end that.

And yet why wasn't he more sad about it?

Ed shook his head. Barbara just didn't understand. Holly would've never left this house yesterday, at least not with Roger. And he planned on taking Barbara's suggestion. He was going down to the police department and filling out a report.

* * *

But when Ed walked into the local precinct, he walked up on Fletcher, Alan-Michael and Detective Cutter, who were discussing something that Ed thought was just out right ridiculous! Alan-Michael caught sight of his uncle and tried to shush Cutter and Fletcher, but it was too late.

"What did you say?!" Ed snapped. Cutter clenched his jaw, then walked away. He was going to leave Fletcher Reade to handle this. They should've never been openly discussing the case anyway.

Fletcher, who's eyesight was even better than it had been yesterday, faced Ed.

"Good morning, Ed."

"Is it?! Did i just hear you trying to blame **HOLLY** for Luncinda's assault?! Why are you here? Filing a report against your own wife?! Alan-Michael what do you have to do with all of this?!"

Alan-Michael cringed at his uncle's tone!

"Uncle Ed, I'm just helping Fletcher get around!" he half stammered.

"It's true, Ed. Alan-Michael is my eyes and ears. He drove me here to turn in some evidence."

"Against Holly?"

"Ed, she has had some kind of nervous breakdown! And covering up her crimes isn't helping her!"

Ed ignored Fletcher and pulled Alan-Michael away from him.

"You listen to me, young man! You have more serious concerns than getting in the middle of a marriage squabble. James is trying to kill everyone in your family! He murdered Phillip so instead of framing innocent women, help the police catch him!"

"Uncle Ed," Alan-Michael said in a low voice, "believe me, I am. It may not look like it, but I am."

"I don't understand."

"You're not supposed to. Nick is in on this too. Fletcher is not."

"Is framing Holly for a crime she didn't commit, part of this?" Ed now whispered. Alan-Michael pulled Ed even further away from Fletcher.

"No," Alan-Michael lied, "Holly will not be hurt. Just trust me, okay? And by the way, you should look after yourself. James is still very much obsessed with Barbara. And he'll be looking to get rid of anyone that's in his way."

"Well you don't have to worry about Barbara and me. We broke up." Ed told him. He then walked away from his nephew and up to Fletcher.

"You're a bum!"

"Hey!" Fletcher snapped.

"You were a bum when you tried to put the moves on Maureen, you were a bum when you acted as if you loved Holly enough to be a proper husband to her and now you are a first class bum, for running out on her when she needs you most!"

"Why are you here, Ed? I mean why did you come down to the police station? Surely not to call me a 'bum'?" Fletcher asked sarcastically.

"I can assure you Fletcher, if you knew, you wouldn't care." Ed said and moved past him towards Frank Cooper. Alan Michael walked back over to Fletcher.

"I'm sorry about that."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Fletcher said, "Ed and I are just coming from two different places. Holly can't run from what she's doing. And if this is a case of some sort of mental breakdown, then I want to face it with her."

Alan-Michael raised a brow.

"You mean you want a reconciliation with her?"

"I do still love my wife, despite what's happened. I know to many it looks as if I have a crummy way of showing it, but I do. But I'm also not going to help cover up any crimes. Holly got herself in this mess by making up that story about Stenbeck."

Alan-Michael said nothing to that. He had been concerned, briefly, that Fletcher had feelings for his wife, and thus, wouldn't appreciate what Alan-Michael and Nick were getting ready to do. But Fletcher believed his wife had made up things, with regards to James. He didn't believe her. To Alan-Michael, that didn't sound too much like there would be any reunion between Fletcher and Holly, once Holly realized that, if she didn't already.

"I'm just going to say goodbye to Uncle Ed, then we can get going." Alan-Michael told Fletcher, before walking away from Fletcher and easing down a hallway that was opposite of where Ed was. He walked up to the head lab tech, and with a nod, slipped him an envelope.

"Make sure that there are two different results." Alan-Michael told the man. The lab tech nodded, took the envelope and walked away. When Cutter got the lab results back on the paint can, it would not be traced as the weapon of choice in Lucinda Walsh's assault.

But Alan-Michael had no doubt that it was. He would be given the real results. And the lab tech would be given the word to admit he had made a 'mistake' and run the test over, thus producing the correct results, if Roger Thorpe didn't acquiesce to his and Nick's plan to get rid of James Stenbeck.

* * *

Roger would have a very interesting day.

He had just arrived back from Bay City, where he had taken Holly/Hayley last night. Awhile back, he had purchased the estate of a man that he had considered an old family friend(meaning a friend of his father's), Mac Cory. Mac had died some years back and his widow, Rachel Cory had sold the home and left for Europe.

Roger had deposited Holly/Hayley there, with strict instructions to limit her comings and goings until he came back. Holly/Hayley, sensing this was more than just some out-of-town trip, did as he asked-sort of. After giving Roger a 'special goodbye', that lasted longer than either one of them had anticipated, Holly/Hayley watched him leave via a window, ran upstairs to shower and change, then jumped into a car and drove two hours to the city that was in between Springfield and Bay City.

Oakdale.

Holly/Hayley had managed to learn that Lucinda had survived! She was just unsure if she was being looked after at her own home or in some residential nursing home. But the plan had never been for Lucinda to get better and then tell someone that **SHE** was the one that had banged her on the head!

Holly/Hayley had plans to smother the old witch! And if she could've conceivably dragged her back to Springfield and tossed her on the Spaulding lawn again, she would have done so. But there was no time. Lucinda shouldn't even be remotely conscious!

Holly/Hayley didn't want to think about her blackouts. She didn't want to let on how scared she was becoming, because it was pretty damned scared! Dr. Weston was a quack! There was no way what was happening to her was normal. No way in hell! Roger had said that they would see a doctor back in Bay City. She was all for it. After she offed Lucinda!

Holly/Hayley stepped on the accelerator and sped up behind the only other car on the seemingly deserted highway. There was no way in the hell this car was even doing the required 55 miles per hour! Holly/Hayley zoomed around it and just when she was about to get in front of the car, she clipped it slightly!

"Oops!" Holly/Hayley said, as she sped off. But the car she had grazed, sped up behind her. Damn! she didn't need this now!

The injured car's driver began honking! Holly/Hayley slowed down, got back into the other lane and let the car catch up. Holly/Hayley didn't even look over as she displayed her middle finger, then sped off again!

The other driver, one Ms. Alexandra Spaulding Stenbeck, was appalled! That woman had looked like Holly Reade! But why the hell would Holly have been in Bay City?! She almost would've had to have been to be on this stretch of highway! No, it couldn't be and yet...Alex stepped on her accelerator, determined to find out if her suspicions were true. And wisely, she decided not to chase her down, but follow at a discreet distance.

A half an hour later, Holly/Hayley stopped at a gas station. As she was pumping her gas, Alex pulled in and parked as if she were going in. But she turned in her seat, so that she could get a good look at the woman pumping gas a few feet away.

There was no question. It was Holly!

Alex was about to get out of her car, when she decided that for the first time in awhile, she had an advantage. She was going to continue to follow Holly wherever she was going to. And Alex had no doubts whatsoever, that wherever this tramp was going, would lead to someone's being very sorry to see her.

Holly/Hayley paid for her gas, then got into her car and sped off. Alex did the same.

* * *

When Roger returned to his apartment, he found Jack Snyder** WAITING INSIDE**! Roger refrained from slamming the door.

"Jack? What brings you by uninvited?" Roger asked, casually looking through his mail.

"I suppose you heard about what happened the other day?"

Roger tossed down the mail.

"Yes. That was rather sloppy work on that warrant, wasn't it? You didn't even get Holly's name right."

Jack cleared his throat.

"I've tried to be fair here, Roger. So I'm just going to lay all my cards out on the table: I don't believe that the Holly Reade that this town knows, could've done any of the things she's being accused of, unless James was drugging her in some way. We are willing to make allowances for that. But I need to talk to her. And I can't seem to find her anywhere. She was supposed to be living with Ed Bauer. He filed a police report earlier and claimed that Holly was last seen with you. Where is she?"

"I have no idea," Roger said coolly, "I did go and see her yesterday but she was a bit persnickety. The conversation didn't get very far."

"Persnickety? Why?" Jack asked.

"Because you had just made her do a perp walk through her own newspaper. This town is gossiping about her and she doesn't know anything, Jack! And from what I understand, Ariel Aldrin is quite the liar. I don't believe this incident Holly is being accused of participating in, ever happened."

"So is Blake a liar as well?" Jack challenged him.

"Blake is just confused, no thanks to Stenbeck. Ariel probably is as well."

"So you don't know anything about where Holly could've went after you saw her at the Bauer home?"

"No. She was angry with me. The good Dr. Bauer has convinced her that I know more about her case than I really do. I don't." Roger said calmly.

"I don't get you! I thought you cared about Holly?"

"I do."

"Right! Something is missing here! Holly has been claiming that she doesn't remember things. Was it possible she asked you to fill in some blanks and she didn't like the answers she received?"

Roger shrugged.

"Maybe."

"You know, I had the Bureau drop their investigation of you with regards to the sabotage of that Spaulding plane, thinking I could get some real cooperation out of you!"

"And you had it until you tried to pin Stenbeck's crimes on Holly. I told you about that Dr. Weston lead. But instead your chasing this Holly thing..."

"Oh, we did follow up on it, Roger. And it not only didn't pan out, but it didn't make sense." Jack said. Roger tilted his head.

"Why?" he asked, but he was afraid of what he would hear.

"Because Dr. Carl Weston is married to Ariel Aldrin, and has been for the past 10 years. And neither one of them as seen James in about that many years. I have to get going. I think you know where Holly is. You have 24 hours to produce her, or it will become common knowledge that the FBI is looking for her." Jack said and walked towards the door, he glanced back at Roger before opening and closing the door behind him.

Damn! Roger thought, as he ran a hand down his face. The man that he knew as Carl Weston, probably stole the identity of the man Ariel Aldrin was married to. Not that Roger needed Weston for anything, but still, he had hoped with a bit of careful planning, that the focus of the Stenbeck investigation could be put on Weston and not Holly.

His doorbell rang. Thinking Jack had returned with another threat, Roger whipped open the door, then stopped short.

Barbara Ryan was standing on the other side of the door, wearing a tan trenchcoat and holding a bottle of champagne.

"Barbara. What brings you by?" Roger asked, moving aside so she could come in. Barbara walked in, turned, then dropped her coat.

She was wearing nothing, of course.

Roger slowly closed his apartment door, took the bottle from her hands and walked over to his mini bar to get glasses. There was a leafy plant next to that bar, where that sexy minx Hayley had set up a camcorder, so they could watch their lovemaking(God, he missed her just thinking about that!).

Roger slyly pressed the record button, poured the champagne, turned and walked over to give Barbara her glass.

"Cheers!" he said, clinking her glass. Barbara held his gaze as they drank, then set her glass down on a nearby table.

"I take it by your silence that you're awestruck?" Barbara asked casually.

"Surprised would be more like it. Tell me, what have I done to earn this 'naked visit'?"

Barbara smiled.

"I'm your new next door neighbor."

"I didn't know I had an old one."

"Well I'm sure that's because Holly...or should I say, 'Hayley' and yourself were busy in here, doing God knows what."

Roger now set his own glass down.

"James told you about Hayley. In exchange for?"

"Me. It was worth it."

"Does Ed think so?" Roger countered.

"We broke up." Barbara replied and closed the distance between them, rubbing herself against Roger.

"Why the sudden interest?" Roger asked carefully.

"Who says there is any? I'm just here to tell you that I'm your new neighbor and that at anytime, I could tell Jack about Holly's other persona, not to mention her part in what happened to poor Ariel. See, I think 'Hayley', Dr. Weston and those mysterious code words, are the missing pieces the authorities need to make a case against James and Holly." Barbara purred.

"And what do you want to keep quiet?" Roger asked slyly.

"Just a little of your time. We could be great friends. Better friends than you are with a crazy woman with two personalities."

"Hmmm." Roger said and moved away from her. He then walked over to the plant, pulled out the camcorder and faced her.

Barbara's smirk melted.

"What the hell is that?!"

"A tape of your sauntering in here naked and blackmailing me for sex or God knows what. The first person that is going to get a copy is James. Somehow I doubt he's going to be willing to let you go, after you let him touch you again. The next copy will go to your son, Paul, then Ed, then to the television stations...oh and Jack Snyder."

"Oh please!" Barbara scoffed. "If anyone found out about Holly's Hayley Persona, we'd both be the losers. But I do get the hint."

And with that, she picked up her trenchcoat off of the floor, dusted it off and then put it on.

"We're still neighbors, I still know about Hayley and I will turn Holly in, in a hot minute if you get in my way in this town. Are we clear?"

"Crystal." Roger said with amusement, then watched as Barbara sauntered out of his apartment. THAT, had been a close one! He walked over to the phone and dialed the number for the former Cory house in Bay City. After ten rings he hung up. He didn't even want to know why Holly had not answered. But he needed to find out. He walked over to a safe, stored the 'Babs Tape' inside, closed and locked it, then went up the stairs towards his bedroom. It was time to get some more things packed for a more permanent stay in Bay City.

* * *

James walked down the stairs and made his way to the dining room, feeling refreshed, triumphant and ready to take on anything. Barbara could act as if she hated him, but she hadn't been anything close to hateful last night in bed.

And he had no intention of letting her 'once' ultimatum stand.

Hope was sitting alone in the dining room, looking sort of surly. She pushed back her plate and stood up when he entered.

"The dining room is all yours. I'm leaving." she announced. But James blocked her way.

"What is this? I was really looking forward to your company."

"Why? I saw Barbara Ryan sneaking down the back steps this morning! How could you? I just thought you should know that I plan on telling my Uncle Ed what I saw!"

But James continued to make escape impossible.

"Why would you do that, Hope? Why would you care?"

"Maybe I don't want my uncle hurt by your tramp, ex-wife!" Hope snapped. In response to her slanderous words against Barbara, James ripped Hope's v-neck blouse and let it fall in tatters to her waist!

She wore no bra!

James grasped her breasts in his hands and gently crushed her soft flesh over and over again. Hope bit her lip to keep from moaning.

"You don't think I did a little checking up on **ALL** of my family, dear? I know when Alan was sent to prison, your alimony came up kind of short, didn't it? His lawyer had it cut off. And we know how expensive nursing school can be...you couldn't touch Alan-Michael's money...how did you get by?" James asked slyly.

"I think you know how!" Hope snapped, wrenching herself away from him. She then held the tatters of her blouse over her breasts.

"I do indeed. And if you don't want your son to find out that you were hooking in Bay City, you'll leave this house by tonight. I don't need anymore trouble from anyone. And I won't stand for your causing trouble for Barbara either. Are we clear?"

Hope nodded and James left the dining room, suddenly not hungry. Hope struggled to catch her breath. She would think of an excuse to tell Alan-Michael, as to why she was leaving Springfield. By tonight.


	8. Chapter 8

"What do you mean you're leaving, Mom? So soon?" Alan-Michael asked, as he watched his mother pack. Hope smiled reassuringly, as if she hadn't just been threatened by James Stenbeck, hours earlier.

"Honey, I just think I'm helping more than I'm hurting."

"How can you say that?" Alan Michael protested. "Aunt Alex is off God knows where! We need her! She's the head of this family and she's missing! You've kept everything going."

"Vera has kept everything going." Hope corrected.

"And you." Alan-Michael insisted.

"Okay, but my life is not here anymore. It's in Bay City. You have a life here now. It's time I went back home."

Alan-Michael peered at his mother.

"You weren't talking like this this morning? And you're going to drive back to Bay City tonight?"

"I'm going to take a small commuter, like I did when I came here? If I had just drove, maybe Phillip wouldn't be dead."

"But eventually I would." Alan-Michael corrected her. "Come on, Mom, it's been great having you back here. And Uncle Ed could use your support."

Hope inhaled briefly, then spoke.

"I need to leave."

"You're not leaving because you need to get back to Bay City, are you? You're leaving because someone is chasing you away. It's Stenbeck, isn't it? He's done something?" Alan-Michael asked. But God help him, he knew. Not what exactly, but he knew Stenbeck was involved in this.

"No, honey. No one is making me leave. I think it's time, that's all." Hope said firmly.

"What does James have on you?"

"Alan-Michael! I've told you James has nothing to do with this! I barely know him! But I have a home in Bay City and I need to get back to it. I was never staying indefinitely. I came to pay my respects to your father and Amanda. I have no intention of living in Springfield ever again."

Alan-Michael said nothing more. He did embrace his mother. Maybe it was best that she was returning to Bay City. He didn't especially want her around, or even suspecting, that he was involved in what was about to take place. For tomorrow, he would receive the report that named Holly as Lucinda Walsh's assailant.

And he would make sure Fletcher was given a doctored one. It didn't make him feel good to lie to Fletcher this way, but first and foremost, James Stenbeck needed to be run out of the Spaulding family and their company, for good.

* * *

Ed was annoyed to find James lurking outside of his office door, at Cedars. Ed glanced at him.

"What did you need, James?" Ed asked, as he looked through a patient chart.

James closed the office door.

"I discovered that Barbara is no longer living with you. May I ask why?"

"No. Is that it?"

James helped himself to a chair and leaned back.

"I am assuming you let your obsession with Holly Reade's bout of mental illness, come between yourself and my ex-wife. That is a shame."

Ed slowly set the file down.

"What do you want?" Ed asked in a clipped tone.

"I was wondering if she left a forwarding address."

"Who?" Ed asked. "I know you do not have the colossal nerve, to come here and ask me about Barbara's whereabouts? Even if I knew, I would not tell you. Now leave my office before I call Security."

James stood up.

"Your tone is uncalled for."

Ed stood up.

"Your presence on this planet is a disgrace! You're a murderer, for starters. Not to mention what you've done to Holly as of late. And then Barbara..."

"Barbara was unfaithful to me."

"I'm sure she was 'forced' to be. Now if there is nothing else..."

"Dr. Bauer, how about we make a deal: you tell me or find out where Barbara is living, and I will tell you **EXACTLY** what is wrong with Holly."

Ed eyed him.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said, Bauer. I will tell you the secret behind Holly's blackouts. I'm assuming she's nowhere to be found these days, yet again, correct?" James asked blithely.

Ed cleared his throat.

"You're asking me to find out something, that you could find out yourself, in exchange for the secret behind Holly's illness?"

"Exactly."

"I don't understand..."

"Oh I think you do," James said coyly, "I would relish getting that information from you, then telling Barbara that I got it from you. I just want to make sure that she hates you sufficiently enough when I make my move."

Ed folded his arms.

"You have plans to try and...what? Barbara despises you."

"I have reason to believe that that's not true. Now will you help me, Dr. Bauer or not?"

"Not. You actually confirmed what I already knew: that you are solely responsible for what is happening to Holly. That will go a long way in untangling her from her legal mishaps." Ed told him. James straightened his suit and walked towards the office door. He opened it, glanced back at Ed briefly, before stepping out in the hallway, closing the door behind him.

Fine, James thought, he would find Barbara through the normal channels he used. Clearly she was not living with Ed Bauer anymore, because she had been just as affected by their previous night's lovemaking, as he had. He would find her and make her understand that there was no running from him, or their shared passion.

* * *

**BAY CITY**

Roger arrived at the former Cory Mansion, and was not pleased to find no sign of Holly/Hayley!

And a vehicle was missing! Damn! Where was she?

The phone rang! Roger picked it up on the second ring!

"Hayley? Where are you?!"

On her end, Alex took the phone away from her ear. Who the hell was Hayley? Maybe she had dialed the wrong number. She spoke.

"Roger?"

Roger now raised a brow. Who the hell was this?

"Who is this?"

"I'm hurt that you could forget the voice of an ex-wife! It's Alex! How are you, darling?"

"What do you want?"

"Who is Hayley? Or did I hear you incorrectly? Did you say 'Holly' and it just sounded off key?"

Roger ran his hand down his face, before answering.

"What do you want?" he repeated.

"You don't sound surprised that I knew you were there. See, I was just in Bay City, handling my 'James' problem and low and behold I ran into Holly driving like a bat out of hell, from Bay City. Would you believe she's Oakdale now?"

"Oakdale?" Roger asked in confusion.

"Yes! Oakdale! Also, I had put in a bid on Mac Cory's property, since his widow Rachel and I are such good friends..."

"What are you trying to tell me, Alex?"

"Holly is in Oakdale. You can find her at the Oakdale Police Station. Apparently she was discovered trying to smother poor Lucinda Walsh in the rehab center her family dumped her in! And even better, the 'smothering' actually made Lucinda come out of her coma! Of course, Lucinda has no memory of anything at all. But it looks like your precious Holly is in a bit of..."

Roger hung up! Hayley tried to smother Lucinda? Hayley tried to smother Lucinda? Why? Why in the **WORLD** would she do that? Why?

Roger paced the room, searching his mind for answers, but none came forth with. And he knew they wouldn't there. He would have to go to Oakdale to find out what the police had on Holly, with regards to Lucinda Walsh.

Or, he could stay put. He could wait for Hayley to return here and confront her. Because somehow, Roger knew that she could probably get out of whatever trouble she was in, on her own.

* * *

Chief of Police, Hal Munson, decided he would handle Holly Reade's interrogation, personally. He had heard rumblings of her trouble in Springfield.

And he thought it was nonsense!

But that was because he disliked Fletcher Reade quite a bit. He had come here, on some fishing expedition about Stenbeck, supposedly for a book. Well, Emily, whom he was currently seeing, was very upset that her time with Stenbeck came up, yet again! And Hal didn't appreciate Fletcher stirring things up.

He sat down in front of Holly, who's red hair looked very pretty in the dark light...

"You don't remember me, do you?" Hal asked. Holly/Hayley gave him a blank stare. Hell no, she didn't remember him! She could see he was a 'Fletcher type', some non descript looking man, that knew nothing about what a nice suit and tie could do for him.

But she played her Holly role.

"Oh...uh..."

"Hal Munson. You were here last year for a conference on women in journalism, and someone stole your purse. My girlfriend, Emily Stewart was there as well."

"Oh yes," Holly/Hayley lied, "I do remember how are you...uh..."

"Hal. Chief of Police, Hal Munson."

Holly/Hayley raised a brow.

"Oh? So this mistake warrants talking to the Chief of Police? And it is a mistake, Hal."

"Lucinda Walsh is a very important person here. And Alex Stenbeck is accusing you of trying to smother Lucinda."

"Hal, what Alex saw, was my **HUGGING** poor Lucinda. I was talking to her, you know, like what they tell you you are supposed to do with comatose people? And I bent down to hug her. Next thing I know, Alex comes in screaming like a banshee, claiming I tried to kill Lucinda. I didn't even have a pillow in my hand!"

"You were wearing leather gloves?" Hal asked warily.

"Yes. I didn't want to give Lucinda any germs. So I wore gloves."

Hal smiled.

"Those are 'latex gloves', Holly, not leather ones. I don't know how much they helped."

"Oh." was all Holly/Hayley said to that. Hal, who was now writing, continued on with his questions.

"What brought you to Oakdale? Was it specifically to see Lucinda?" Hal asked.

"Yes. I had actually had breakfast with her, the morning of a funeral I had to attend. We're not good friends, but when I come into town, we have lunch. So when she showed up in Springfield, we had breakfast. It was after she left me, that she was attacked." Holly/Hayley lied.

Hal eyed her.

"I did not know that. Lucinda and I are friendly as well, so I asked the Springfield Police Department to keep me abreast of all they had learned. It wasn't much."

"I think they became distracted over Phillip Spaulding's murder." Holly/Hayley answered.

"But you never volunteered that you had lunch with Lucinda." Hal noted.

Clearly, whipping her hair around, was losing it's charm on 'Joe Schmoe Hal' here. Holly/Hayley leaned forward.

"No. The police never asked me. I didn't volunteer it, because it was pretty obvious that James was the one that hurt her. Considering she was found on the property."

"Yes...I heard about your being married to Stenbeck at one time, and not remembering. One of my ex-wives was married to him as well."

"Barbara." Holly/Hayley said in a tight voice.

"Yes. Do you know her?"

"Not really. She is seeing one of my ex-husbands now, so I see her now and then. But it's just to say 'hello'."

Hal nodded and wrote something down. He then put down the pen and spoke.

"See here is my problem, Holly: it's Alexandra Stenbeck. I spoke to her before I talked to you. And her version of events is very different from yours."

"Why is SHE here, if I may ask?" Holly/Hayley asked. "I mean the last I heard, no one in her family even knew where she was."

"Yes...well...Alexandra was in Bay City. She said she was on her way back to Springfield, by car via the interstate, when a car, driven by you sped around her in such a rude way, that you almost caused her to have an accident. She recognized you and followed you here."

"Why?" Holly/Hayley asked.

"Well, she said to confront you about your rude driving." Hal replied. Holly/Hayley stood up and turned away from him. She had been in tighter spots than this before. And an idea just came to her, as to how she was going to walk out of this place.

Holly/Hayley turned back to look at Hal.

"Oh my God."

"What?" Hal asked, raising a brow.

"Well, first of all, Alexandra has it wrong. She was the aggressive driver, though I didn't know it was her."

Hal shook his head slightly.

"I don't understand."

"Neither did I until now! This whole thing is a way of keeping me quiet. Of getting me out of the way."

"Alright, Holly. Humor me. Why would Alex Spaulding make all of this up?"

Holly/Hayley leaned forward.

"To keep me from telling people that James Stenbeck is really her brother."

* * *

Alexandra knew something was wrong, when Holly was allowed to walk right past her, free as a bird! She watched as that woman walked out of the police station, just as Hal Munson called her back into the interrogation room! What the hell was going on?!

"Have a seat, Mrs. Stenbeck." Hal said, pulling out a chair. Alex eyed him.

"I don't especially like being addressed by that name."

"Mrs. Stenbeck? Why? James is your husband."

"Not for long."

"And why is that?" Hal asked, now sitting down across from her.

"Why is that? Chief Munson, why don't you tell me what any of that has to do with the fact that Holly Reade tried to kill Lucinda Walsh earlier!"

Hal pursed his lips, then spoke.

"Mrs. Reade told me that James Stenbeck is actually your brother. That he tricked you into marriage and now you're trying to kill **HER**, to keep her from saying anything. Is there ANY truth to that?"

Alex just stared at Hal and he knew that James **WAS** her brother. She stood up and paced the room.

"Damn that James! He's been blackmailing me with that since he threw it in my face! Now I find out that he told Holly? Why in the living hell..." she trailed off, her mind going back to that moment she emerged from that shower and saw that woman waiting in bed for James.

"What is it, Ms. Spaulding?" Hal asked, now standing up as well.

"I'm wondering WHY James would tell Holly that? I mean she's been running around Springfield, claiming to be his victim! Claiming that she doesn't remember being married to him. I think she does remember. I think she did the whole time. And maybe Lucinda found some dirt on her and Holly attacked her. Just like she attacked Fletcher!" Alex sniffed.

"You know what? I'm going to let this go. There were no cameras in Lucinda's room, obviously. I can't prove that Holly wasn't 'hugging' Lucinda, like she said. I can't prove that you made this whole thing up on Holly, to cover the fact that she knows Stenbeck is your half-brother. But I think it's time you returned to Springfield. Holly has already left and I suggest you follow suit." Hal said in a no-nonsense tone. Alex clenched her jaw, picked up her purse off of the table and left the interrogation room.

She could not get her theory out of her head! Holly had been trying to smother Lucinda! And if she had lied about not remembering being married to James, was it possible that James was the one that sent her here to kill Lucinda? But why?

Alex realized that she would learn nothing, standing in Oakdale, guessing. She was going to have a nice talk with Barbara Ryan. If anyone knew the skinny on James, it would be her!

* * *

Holly/Hayley drove like a bat out of hell, back to Bay City, not caring if she was pulled over by the police! Luckily, they were no where in sight.

She pranced into the mansion, tossed her purse onto a chair and then...

Roger was sitting on the couch. Waiting. Holly/Hayley coughed, then moved to embrace him.

"Hey you! How long have you been here?"

But Roger's arm did not envelope around her. Holly/Hayley slowly removed hers.

"Okay, what's wrong?" she asked impatiently. Roger suddenly grabbed her face!

"I want you to tell me the truth, Holly! And I want it now!"

"Why are you calling me that?! I'm Hayley, remember? Let go of me!" Holly/Hayley struggled, but found his grip to be stronger than she would've anticipated.

"Did you do something to Lucinda Walsh? Answer me, Holly! Did you do something to her?"

Holly/Hayley jerked out of his grip and shook her hair out once she was out of his reach!

"She threatened me! And so did James. He wanted me to help him kill Alan-Michael in an explosion and blame you. Then Lucinda came to my house and got cute. It was then that I figured I could kill her, leave her on the Spaulding grounds and everyone would think James did it. Once that happened, James wouldn't have time to frame you for anything." Holly/Hayley said meekly.

Roger was stunned! Yes, what she did was wrong but her heart...

Roger slowly walked over to her. He gently rested his hands on her shoulders. Holly/Hayley could see he was very upset. Almost to the point of tears.

"Roger? What's wrong?"

"Everything, Holly. You're Holly. Hayley is someone that James made up. Holly is you. You are Holly and I have to make sure you stay Holly. But I don't want to. Because Holly doesn't look at me like you do and Holly doesn't do the things you do...but I have to..."

Holly/Hayley slowly pulled out of his hold.

"I'm going to fix you a drink, okay?" she said soothingly. Something had happened. Roger looked like he had been through a bad shock. A drink and a night of soothing sex would take all of this...this sadness within him, away.

Holly/Hayley walked over to the bar and began the process of fixing herself and Roger a drink. Roger swiped at his eyes, then began to say the words...

_"Always on my mind, forever in my heart."_

Suddenly, Holly/Hayley dropped to the ground! The glasses she was holding, fell and crashed as well! Roger hurried over to her, picked her up and laid her out on the couch. Holly awoke instantly and stared into Roger's eyes, looking puzzled.

"Roger? What's going on? Where are we?"

Roger took a deep breath.

"It doesn't matter. We're going back home. To Springfield. We need to face what Stenbeck has done, once and for all." he said quietly.

**THE END**

In the last installment, **THE BRAZEN AND THE BIZARRE**, Holly has seen the end of Hayley and must deal with the legal consequences of what she has done. She also realizes that her feelings for Roger, may not have been ALL Hayley. James becomes even more murderous, when he realizes that Barbara is now living in Roger's apartment building. And the secret to how Alex plans to rid the Spauldings of James, is revealed.


End file.
